‘No One Wants to Take That Risk’: Dan Hooker Says Ilia Topuria Won’t Fight Usman Nurmagomedov
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The New Zealander cites his fight with Michael Chandler to explain why no one will want to face the PFL champion if he joins the UFC.
Dan Hooker has built a career fighting opponents that many avoid in the division. He fought the former Bellator champion Michael Chandler on his debut when nobody else wanted to.
Hooker will now do the same when he enters the cage against Salahdine Parnasse at UFC Paris on September 5. He has offered his honest take on why such fights keep hitting the wall.
Dan Hooker Says No One Will Take the Usman Nurmagomedov Fight
Khabib’s cousin Usman Nurmagomedov is now a free agent following his first-round finish over Archie Colgan at PFL New York. Ever since then, the MMA community has been debating his UFC debut, and Hooker has cut through the noise bluntly.
“You think Ilia Topuria is going to take that risk of fighting an unranked, non-UFC fighter? No one wants to take that risk. It's the same reason why I was the guy to fight Chandler. It's the same reason why they're paying me to fight Parnasse, because none of these guys in the division want to risk it for the biscuit,” Hooker said in an interview with Submission Radio.
The logic is accurate here. Ilia Topuria, after his first-ever pro-MMA loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, will try to rebuild his path to the title.
The last thing a former champion would want is to fight an unranked opponent, as the risks are high. A loss will set him far back, and a win will only do a little to his resume.
The risk and reward factor in such fights is terrible. Hooker has bluntly pointed it out. However, he is the sort of person who doesn’t calculate much while taking such fights.
Hooker takes on Salahdine Parnasse Next
The lightweight veteran will headline UFC Fight Night this weekend against one of the most feared free-agent prospects, Salahdine Parnasse.
Parnasse is already a heavy favorite going into the fight with -400 to -480 odds, while Hooker is an underdog priced at +300 to +335.
The event will take place on Parnasse’s home soil at the Accor Arena, giving him an advantage, while Hooker will have the entire crowd against him.
Parnasse is 22-0 and has secured five finishes in his last five outings. He is a nightmare for any ranked contender right now. However, Hooker understood the assignment. It remains to be seen if Hooker spoils his debut or gives UFC another star to build on.
