No harm, no foul.
For Kiwi UFC star Dan Hooker, putting things into perspective can go a long way.
After a long layoff due to injuries, Hooker returned to the octagon in the main event of the UFC’s first fight night in Qatar against Arman Tsarukyan, the division’s No 1 contender, looking to leapfrog his way into a title shot.
He was well beaten, with the Armenian dominating the majority of the bout before forcing Hooker to submit in the second round.
But as he prepares for his next assignment against No 8-ranked Benoit Saint Denis in Sydney next February, Hooker said that while it didn’t go his way in Qatar, the bout served a purpose.
“It was a tough ask and just a bit rusty when I got out there,” Hooker said.
“But it was good, man, to knock that ring rust out. I didn’t move anywhere in the division, so no harm, no foul, and an opportunity to get back in there in the end.
“We’re in the sport of you can turn this around in a single fight. So, a big win over BSD and you’re straight back in the mix.”
After losing to Tsarukyan, it has come as no surprise to Hooker, ranked No 6, that he now has to defend his spot in the rankings against someone currently sitting lower than him.
The 35-year-old only was only approached about the bout against France’s Saint Denis on the weekend, but needed no convincing and the confirmation was announced during Sunday’s UFC 323 pay-per-view.
“The day after the fight [in Qatar], that’s why I called out [Renato] Moicano, just to show my intention to get back in there,” Hooker said.
“I could tell that the injuries I got in the fight were just superficial. I know me damage well. I knew I’d bounce back from that, just superficial stuff; a bit of a swollen eye, but yeah, it’s come right.
“I’m back in the gym this week, was sparring on Monday, feeling good, still fit, weight’s good. So, yeah, just stay sharp over the next seven weeks and then it’s party time.”
The 10-week turnaround will be the shortest time between fights for Hooker since 2021, when he fought Islam Makhachev about five weeks after a unanimous-decision win over Nasrat Haqparast.
A bout between Hooker and Saint Denis shapes up as a fan-friendly affair, the Frenchman coming in with a three-fight winning streak with two submissions and a knockout. Of Saint Denis’ 20 professional MMA bouts, only one has gone to a decision.
“You’re a loser ‘til you win again in this sport. So to get an opportunity to turn that around in two months is massive. That’s absolutely enormous in this sport,” Hooker said.
“He’s on a win streak. He’s got a lot of hopes and dreams and aspirations and wants to be a champion and I’m just going to go out there and spoil them. I’m going to ruin his dreams, I’m going to ruin his aspirations, I’m going to ruin his health, and I’m going to make some money.
“It checks a lot of boxes for me personally, you know? I’m now the UFC’s Grinch.”
Main card
Main event: Alexander Volkanovski (c) v Diego Lopes (2) for the UFC featherweight championship
Lightweight: Dan Hooker (6) v Benoit Saint Denis (8)
Lightweight: Rafael Fiziev (9) v Mauricio Ruffy (14)
Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa (12) v Tallison Teixeira (15)
Light heavyweight: Jimmy Crute v Dustin Jacoby
Preliminary card
Lightweight: Rongzhu v Quillan Salkilld
Heavyweight: Serghei Spivac (7) v Ante Delija (9)
Welterweight: Jonathan Micallef v Oban Elliott
Featherweight: Kaan Ofli v Yizha
Early prelims
Light heavyweight: Junior Tafa v Billy Elekana
Middleweight: Cam Rowston v Cody Brundage
Middleweight: Jacob Malkoun v Torrez Finney
Road To UFC final match-ups will also appear on the card, including New Zealand’s Aaron Tau and Lawrence Lui.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.