Dan Hooker has made it clear there's no coming back from what Paddy Pimblett said. The New Zealand lightweight delivered a pointed warning in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, confirming that the feud between the two fighters has crossed into deeply personal territory.
The rivalry began as standard fighter banter. Both men exchanged jabs about each other's skills, with Pimblett questioning Hooker's grappling ability following his submission loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC Qatar in November. The trash talk seemed harmless until Pimblett made a comment during an interview with The MMA Guru that changed everything.
"It's on Sight," Paddy Pimblett Will Get His Head "Kicked-In" By Dan Hooker for Controversial Joke
"Dan Hooker couldn't grapple a r-pist off his mum," Pimblett said, using the hypothetical scenario to mock Hooker's grappling skills. The comment sparked immediate backlash across the MMA community, with many saying the Liverpool fighter had gone too far by bringing family into the conversation.
Hooker's response was swift and equally controversial. He referenced Ricky, Pimblett's close friend who died by suicide in 2022, writing "RIP Ricky" on social media. The exchange spiraled from there, with both fighters declaring their next meeting would be "on sight".
Speaking with Helwani, Hooker explained where the line was crossed. "Name a fighter in history that's ever made a rape joke about someone's mother," he said. "As fighters, that's just a line that we don't cross. You don't talk about family. You don't mention people's wives, mothers and kids. That's on the no-go list".
Hooker made it clear the initial trash talk about grappling skills meant nothing to him. "The UFC was freaking out like, 'If Dan and Paddy see each other at the hotel in Qatar...' I'm like, what, because he said I'm shit at jiu-jitsu? I couldn't give a flying fuck if someone said I'm shit at jiu-jitsu," Hooker explained. But Pimblett's comment about his mother changed the dynamic completely.
"He wanted a reaction, he got one," Hooker said. "And from that, I want to take this kid's head off. I just needed to make sure that feeling was mutual. He wants to say some horrible shit, I'm going to say some horrible shit back, so that when we see each other, that feeling is mutual".
When asked what "on sight" means, Hooker didn't mince words. "I'll try to kick his head in," he said. "If anyone makes a comment like that towards me, I'll kick your head in".
The timing adds fuel to the fire. Pimblett just suffered his first UFC loss, dropping a unanimous decision to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 on January 24. The judges scored the fight 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 in Gaethje's favor after a grueling five-round war that saw Pimblett knocked down multiple times.
Meanwhile, Hooker is set to face Benoit Saint Denis this weekend at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia. The co-main event takes place on February 1 at Qudos Bank Arena. Hooker is coming off his own loss to Tsarukyan and took the fight on a quick turnaround, telling Helwani he "had a bad taste in my mouth" after that defeat.
Hooker made clear he's not interested in watching others fight Pimblett. "That does absolutely nothing," he said. "That doesn't make me feel any better". He wants the fight himself, though he acknowledged it wouldn't be smart to chase it immediately after his upcoming bout.
The New Zealand fighter went further, questioning Pimblett's longevity in the sport following the Gaethje fight. "He looks like a baby giraffe," Hooker said, critiquing Pimblett's fighting style. He suggested that Pimblett has benefited from opponent selection and will struggle now that he's facing top competition consistently. "The hard part is not fighting Justin Gaethje. It's like, now you had a five-round war with Justin Gaethje, well, your next fight's going to be a five-round war."