Dan Hooker has his eyes on Rafael dos Anjos next time out.
Hooker is coming off a first-round TKO loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257, but still remains a top-ranked lightweight. He has proven himself to be a top-10 fighter and hopes to fight a top-tier opponent next time out.
Although Hooker has been calling for Justin Gaethje, he doubts he will get that scrap. Instead, the Kiwi is interested in facing dos Anjos next time out.
“That’s a fight I would like. That’s a former champion. Coming back beating (Paul) Felder. He did incredible in that fight. Behind Gaethje, (dos Anjos) would be number one on my list,” Hooker said to South China Morning Post (via BJPENN).
Based on the rankings, Dan Hooker vs. Rafael dos Anjos certainly makes sense. They are ranked eighth and seventh, respectively, but whether or not it will happen is uncertain. The Brazilian has been calling to fight Justin Gaethje, while Islam Makhachev has been calling him out. However, a Hooker-dos Anjos fight can easily headline a Fight Night card and be a very entertaining bout for the fans.
Before the loss to Chandler, Hooker lost a decision to Dustin Poirier in one of the best fights of 2020. Prior to the setbacks, the Kiwi was on a three-fight winning streak with a split decision win over Paul Felder, a decision win over Al Iaquinta and a KO win over James Vick. He also holds notable wins over Gilbert Burns, and Jim Miller.
Rafael dos Anjos, meanwhile, returned to lightweight last time out with a split decision win over Felder, who took the fight on short notice. Although it was a split – due to bad judging – it was a dominant performance from the Brazilian. RDA is the former lightweight champ who went 4-4 at welterweight and came up short in his bid for interim gold against Colby Covington.
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