City Kickboxing head coach, Eugene Bareman isn’t putting much stock into Dan Hooker’s loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257.
In the co-main event, Hooker was returning after a Fight of the Year contender decision loss to Dustin Poirier last June. Hooker was looking to cement his case as a top-five lightweight and prove Chandler doesn’t belong among the lightweight elite. However, that was far from what happened as Chandler pressured Hooker early and TKO’d the Kiwi in the first round.
For Bareman, he knows the loss is disappointing for Hooker but doesn’t ruin his chances as a top contender.
“This is the UFC, and in the UFC the best fight the best straight away. There’s no maneuvering and you have to wait five years for Anthony Joshua to fight Tyson Fury. It’s none of that stuff,” Bareman said to Combat TV. “You get in the UFC, and you fight the best straight away. And for that reason, one loss doesn’t mean anything. In boxing, they put a lot more on that, but this is MMA. You’re forced to fight the best straight away. One loss for Conor, one loss for Dan, it doesn’t mean anything. Just like Conor lost before, just like Dustin lost before, just like Michael Chandler has lost before.”
With the loss, Dan Hooker will likely have to fight someone behind him in the rankings next time out. However, with a win, he can put himself back int he driver’s seat to fight a top-five opponent.
