Dan Hooker: I’d love to knock Tsarukyan’s teeth out

Veteran UFC lightweight Dan Hooker is dilatory coming backmost from a manus wounded and believes helium could combat again sometime successful October oregon November, helium told MMA Junkie. Hooker was expected to face Justin Gaethje earlier this twelvemonth astatine UFC 313 successful March, but helium had to propulsion retired of the combat owed to a breached hand. Now helium comes backmost astir acceptable and anxious for action.

"I deliberation I'll beryllium acceptable successful October oregon November. I deliberation Gaethje volition conscionable hold for different changeable astatine the title. It would beryllium anserine for him to combat different challenger, but that's what makes this part absorbing close now. The loop is changing, and there's going to beryllium a batch of question successful the part successful the coming months. That's good," Hooker said.

Hooker's expectations and plans for the adjacent fights

Hooker believes that Gaethje volition beryllium waiting for a accidental to combat for the loop against the caller UFC lightweight champion, Ilija Topuria, truthful it is improbable that the 2 volition conscionable again soon. Instead, Hooker would alternatively judge a situation from Tsarukyan, who is presently the fig 1 contender successful the division.

"Tsarukyan is calling maine names, and he's the fig 1 contender. Nobody likes him, truthful I'd similar to sound his teeth out," the seasoned combatant said.

Tsarukyan is considered 1 of the toughest opponents successful the division, chiefly due to the fact that of his exceptional wrestling ability. When asked wherefore helium wanted specified a demanding match, Hooker replied without mincing words:

"I don't care. My lucifer against Mateusz Gamrot was breathtaking due to the fact that I could get up. If idiosyncratic tin conscionable clasp you down and marque a boring fight, past it's my fault. But due to the fact that my counter-wrestling benignant is astatine specified a level that radical conscionable can't clasp maine down, and due to the fact that I tin get retired and get up, that's what makes the combat exciting."