Dan Hooker (#5)
Although Dan Hooker, ranked fifth in the UFC lightweight rankings, isn’t in the title-picture, welcoming Chandler to the promotion with the 30-year-old from New Zealand would be tons of fun. Similar to Gaethje, Hooker’s bouts deliver more often than not, and the promotion has noticed. Hooker has headlined in each of his last two fights.
Winning three of his last four, Hooker has also earned bonuses in three of those fights, and has back-to-back Fight of the Night performances. Not too shabby for a guy just outside the title picture in one of the most loaded divisions in the sport.
While any ranked UFC lightweight is a formidable test for Chandler, and he’d prefer someone ranked higher, a bout with Hooker would give Chandler the opportunity to showcase not just his skill, but his heart as well. Hooker has been finished just once in his 15-fight UFC career, by Edson Barboza in December of 2018. In that same time, he’s tallied eight finishes of his own.
Hooker is publicly angling for the Gaethje fight, but made sure to take a few digs at Chandler in the process. It’s hard to imagine that was an accident, or that he’d turn down a shot at Chandler.
