“I have to finish Dan Hooker, I have to show my level to fight for a title soon,” Islam Makhachev wants to make a statement against Dan Hooker at UFC 267

“I have to finish Dan Hooker, I have to show my level to fight for a title soon,” Islam Makhachev wants to make a statement against Dan Hooker at UFC 267

Islam Makhachev

The number 5th ranked UFC Lightweight fighter, Islam Makhachev is going to face the biggest name of his MMA career in the form of number 6th ranked Lightweight fighter, Dan Hooker at the Lightweight contest of UFC 267.

This fight was originally booked between Makhachev and former UFC Lightweight champion, Rafael Dos Anjos. But Dos Anjos pulled his name due to an injury and Hooker accepted to fight Islam Makhachev for one month period at UFC 267.

Talking about his fight against Dan Hooker at the UFC 267 media day, Makhachev says, “I’m just happy because they find someone for me, that too a top opponent because everyone else was injured, I think the fight is going to be canceled but I’m very happy because Hooker took this fight.”

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“They give me two names, Tony Ferguson and Dan Hooker. They say Ferguson didn’t respond and Hooker was ready. For me, it doesn’t matter who it is.”

Hooker is one of the most elite strikers in the Lightweight division and Islam Makhachev knows what is getting into. Makhachev added, “He’s tough, he’s good, high-level striking. I think he is better than RDA because RDA is a little bit old I think and Hooker doesn’t have a good win streak but he fought many tough guys.”

“He defeated a lot of tough opponents, that’s why it is going to be a good fight. I honestly don’t see his wrestling game, grappling skills but we’ll see I’m gonna check it.”

Islam Makhachev believes he is going to fight for the title very soon

Dan Hooker and Islam Makhachev
Dan Hooker and Islam Makhachev

The former UFC Lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov already predicted that with a win against Hooker, Islam Makhachev is going to fight for the UFC Lightweight title next and for this Makhachev knows he needs to make a statement in this fight.

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He added, “I have to finish Dan Hooker because I have to show my level to fight for a title soon. I try to finish all my opponents, I have to show people, I have to show UFC what my level is because very soon I’m going to fight for the title. I’ll try to finish him everywhere.”

Also Read: “The boys are going to make some money,” Dan Hooker is happy to enter the Octagon as a betting underdog against Islam Makhachev at UFC 267.