Dan Hooker has claimed he won’t ‘break his back’ for a ‘company that doesn’t respect him’, accusing the UFC of cancelling his tickets to watch a teammate challenge for a world title.
Hooker’s fellow New Zealander Kai Kara-France challenged flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in June, coming up short with a submission loss, and Hooker was unable to lend his support in Las Vegas.
The lightweight fan favourite, 35, discussed the matter on Submission Radio on Monday (28 July), saying: “They tried to get me out of bed at 7.30 [ET] in the morning – the UFC booked me for some s*** – which is three in the morning New Zealand time. I didn’t even go out, I had an early night, but I’m not getting out of bed at three in the morning to do just about anything. I slept in, and I didn’t go to the UFC thing.
“They cancelled my tickets to Kai’s fight, and then so it’s like... I’m going to rush back and fight injured for a company that’s going to cancel my tickets to the event, when I’ve travelled all the way to Las Vegas?
“I would have fought injured, but then someone at a desk has crossed my name off a list. You work in the office, brother, I work in the... You think there would be a bit more respect there for guys who literally give their life. The amount of blood, sweat, and tears I’ve poured into putting shows on for that company...
“I thought there would have been a bit more respect there, but there’s not, which is cool – business is business. We can fight on my terms then [...] I’m not going to break my back for a company that doesn’t respect me.”
Hooker was due to face Justin Gaethje in March, in a long-awaited clash, but the Kiwi sustained a hand fracture, leading the bout to be cancelled. That fight was initially scheduled for five rounds, before Hooker claimed – prior to his injury – that it had been shortened to three rounds. “They’re trying to give me every disadvantage they can possibly give me, bro, but that’s fine,” he said at the time.
On the topic of fight lengths, Hooker added on Monday: “Twenty grand for an extra 10 minutes is the going rate. I’m a logical thinker; in what world do I get half a million dollars for 15 minutes, and then I get half a million dollars and 20 grand for half an hour [25 minutes]?
“When I used to work at the bloody kitchen factory, do you think I did an eight-hour day and got paid a couple of hundred bucks, and then I’m going to do twice as much work and get a fraction more money? It just doesn’t make sense to me. ‘Oh, but, you know, for the experience.’ Shove it up your f*****g ass, bro, I’m not going to work. I’m not going to work for twice as long. If you want me to go to work for twice as long, pay me twice as much; that’s how that works.”
Hooker also weighed in on the lightweight title picture, where Ilia Topuria is awaiting his first challenger since winning the belt in June. It seems that any one of Gaethje, Arman Tsarukyan or Paddy Pimblett could be next for the new champion.
“The UFC is smart as f***,” Hooker said. “They never paint themselves into a situation where there’s a clear No 1 contender that has to fight for the belt next, because if they’re ever in that situation, then negotiations obviously become very difficult for them.
“If the fans are 100 per cent locked and expecting there’s only one guy that makes sense for the title, you think when they sit down and negotiate, the UFC’s in a strong position?
“Now they’ve got Gaethje that they can have, they’ve got Arman that still... they’ve said doesn’t [make sense], but he does still make sense for the title. Paddy Pimblett could step up because he’s got f*****g beef coming out of his ears. So, they always have – in a title-fight situation – three guys that could justify title shots.
“Because then if they have one guy, they go to the first guy. He starts playing hardball, then they can go to the second guy. They can go to the third guy, then they can go back to the first guy. At the end of the day, it’s business, and the fight that makes the most dollars makes the most sense for the UFC.”
The Independent has approached the UFC for comment.
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