# Dan Hooker

Daniel Preston Hooker (born 13 February 1990) is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Hooker was the King in the Ring Middleweight Kickboxing Champion and WKBF X-Rules Welterweight Champion. As of 22 October 2024, he is #6 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

## Early life

Hooker was born in Auckland, New Zealand into a family of partial Māori (Ngāti Maniapoto) descent. He grew up playing both codes of rugby throughout his schooling and was introduced to mixed martial arts by a friend after leaving school.

## Mixed martial arts career
### Early career

Hooker made his professional mixed martial arts debut in March 2009. He fought primarily in his native New Zealand and amassed a record of 10–4 before joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Dan is also a professional kickboxer with a 9–1–3 record, winning the King In The Ring Middleweight Kickboxing Championship and WKBF X-Rules Welterweight Championship.
Hooker also has a 3–2 submission grappling record. On 18 October 2009 he took part in the ICNZ Contender Series 1 No-Gi Submission Wrestling Tournament. He beat Thomas Kwok and Bass Khou by guillotine choke and lost to Pumau Campbell on points. He also competed in the New Zealand 2011 No-Gi Nationals, in the Advanced under 77 kg / 170 lbs division, he beat Paul Faavaoga in the first round and lost to LJ Stevenson in the second round.
He has also competed in a heavyweight fight, for which he weighed in at 86 kg / 189 lbs, against Mark Creedy, winning by knockout in the second round. He also competed in a heavyweight tag team kickboxing match against Antz Nansen.
Hooker has been coaching MMA since 2008, spending time as head coach at City Kickboxing gym in Auckland. In mid 2018 Hooker opened his own gym Combat Academy in Ellerslie, Auckland, a state-of-the-art gym that included a full-sized boxing ring and an octagon.

### Ultimate Fighting Championship
#### 2014

Hooker made his promotional debut against fellow newcomer Ian Entwistle on 28 June 2014 at UFC Fight Night 43. Hooker won the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the first round.
Hooker faced Maximo Blanco on 20 September 2014 at UFC Fight Night 52. Hooker lost the fight via unanimous decision.

#### 2015

Hooker faced Hatsu Hioki on 10 May 2015 at UFC Fight Night 65. He won the fight via knockout due to a combination of head kick and punches in the second round. With this win, he became the first man to knock out Hioki in a MMA fight. The win also earned Hooker his first Performance of the Night bonus award.
Hooker next faced Yair Rodríguez on 3 October 2015 at UFC 192. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

#### 2016

In April 2016, Hooker competed in the 2016 Tiger Muay Thai Tryouts in Phuket, and won a place on the professional fight team, along with teammate Dave Leduc.
Hooker next faced Mark Eddiva on 20 March 2016 at UFC Fight Night 85. He won the fighting from a high-elbow mounted guillotine choke in the first round.
Hooker faced Jason Knight on 27 November 2016 at UFC Fight Night 101. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

#### 2017

Moving up from featherweight to lightweight, Hooker fought Ross Pearson on 11 June 2017 at UFC Fight Night 110. He trained locally in City Kickboxing in Newton, Auckland. He won the fight via knockout in the second round. The win also earned Hooker his second Performance of the Night bonus award.
Hooker faced Marc Diakiese on 30 December 2017 at UFC 219 He won the fight via guillotine choke submission in the third round.

#### 2018

Hooker faced Jim Miller on 21 April 2018 at UFC Fight Night 128. He won the fight via knockout in round one.
Hooker faced Gilbert Burns on 7 July 2018 at UFC 226. He won the fight via knockout in round one.
Hooker faced Edson Barboza on 15 December 2018 at UFC on Fox 31. Hooker lost the fight via TKO.

#### 2019

Hooker faced James Vick on 20 July 2019 at UFC on ESPN 4. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night bonus.
Hooker faced former UFC title challenger Al Iaquinta on 6 October 2019 at UFC 243. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

#### 2020

Hooker faced Paul Felder on 23 February 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker. Hooker won the fight by a controversial split decision. Out of 17 media members, 12 scored it for Felder, and only 4 for Hooker. This fight earned him a Fight of the Night award.
Hooker faced returning UFC title challenger Dustin Poirier on 27 June 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. This contest earned him the Fight of the Night award. This bout was widely considered one of the greatest fights of the year, due its back-and-forth bloody exchanges.

#### 2021

Hooker faced former three-time Bellator MMA lightweight champion and UFC newcomer Michael Chandler at UFC 257 on 24 January 2021. He lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round. After the bout, Hooker placed his gloves in the middle of the octagon as a sign of retirement. However, he then clarified that after reconsideration, he would not retire from the sport.
Hooker faced Nasrat Haqparast on 25 September 2021 at UFC 266. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Hooker faced Islam Makhachev as a short notice replacement for Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 267. He lost the bout via submission due to a kimura in round one.

#### 2022

Hooker faced Arnold Allen in a featherweight bout on 19 March 2022 at UFC Fight Night 204. He lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round.
Hooker faced Claudio Puelles on 12 November 2022 at UFC 281. He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.

#### 2023

Hooker was scheduled to face Jalin Turner on 4 March 2023 at UFC 285. However, Hooker was forced to withdraw from the event citing a hand injury, and he was replaced by Mateusz Gamrot.
Hooker faced Jalin Turner on 8 July 2023 at UFC 290. At the weigh-ins Turner weighed in at 158 pounds, 2 pounds over the non-title lightweight limit. As a result, the bout proceeded as a catchweight and Turner was fined 20% of his fight purse, which went to Hooker. In a back and forth bout, Hooker came out victorious via split decision.
Hooker was scheduled to face Bobby Green on 2 December 2023 at UFC on ESPN 52. However, the week before the event, Hooker withdrew due to injury, and was replaced by Jalin Turner.

#### 2024

Hooker fought former KSW Lightweight Champion and KSW Featherweight Champion Mateusz Gamrot on 18 August 2024 at UFC 305. He won the fight by split decision. 8 out of 17 media outlets scored the bout for Hooker. This fight earned him another Fight of the Night award.

#### 2025

Hooker was scheduled to face former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje on March 8, 2025 at UFC 313. However, Hooker had to withdraw from the bout due to a hand injury, and was replaced by Rafael Fiziev.

## Personal life

Hooker ran and taught at his own gym, The Combat Academy in Auckland, New Zealand, which he has since closed to focus on his MMA career. In September 2021, Hooker announced that he was relocating to the United States due to problems he experienced with lockdown measures in New Zealand as well as obtaining a work visa to travel to the US from NZ. However, he continues to live and train out of Auckland, New Zealand.

## Championships and accomplishments
### Mixed martial arts

* Ultimate Fighting Championship
** Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Hatsu Hioki, Ross Pearson, and James Vick
** Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Paul Felder, Dustin Poirier and Mateusz Gamrot
** UFC Honors Awards
*** 2020: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee vs. Dustin Poirier
*** 2024: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee vs. Mateusz Gamrot
** UFC.com Awards
*** 2015: Ranked #8 Upset of the Year vs. Hatsu Hioki
*** 2020: Ranked #3 Fight of the Year vs. Dustin Poirier & Ranked #5 Fight of the Year vs. Paul Felder
*** 2023: Ranked #6 Fight of the Year vs. Jalin Turner
*** 2024: Ranked #8 Fight of the Year vs. Mateusz Gamrot
* Australian Fighting Championship
** AFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
*** Two successful title defenses
* Supremacy Fighting Championships
** New Zealand Lightweight Championship
* MMAJunkie.com
** 2015 May Knockout of the Month vs. Hatsu Hioki
** 2020 February Fight of the Month vs. Paul Felder
** 2020 June Fight of the Month vs. Dustin Poirier

### Kickboxing

* World Kickboxing Federation
** WKBF X-Rules Welterweight Championship
* King in the Ring
** King in the Ring Middleweight Championship

## Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown :
| 36 matches | 24 wins | 12 losses |
| By knockout | 11 | 3 |
| By submission | 7 | 3 |
| By decision | 6 | 6 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Win | 24–12 | Mateusz Gamrot | Decision (split) | UFC 305 | 18 August 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Perth, Australia | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 23–12 | Jalin Turner | Decision (split) | UFC 290 | 8 July 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Catchweight (158 lb) bout; Turner missed weight. |
| Win | 22–12 | Claudio Puelles | TKO (front kick to the body) | UFC 281 | 12 November 2022 | 2 | 4:06 | New York City, New York, United States | |
| Loss | 21–12 | Arnold Allen | TKO (punches and elbows) | UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall | 19 March 2022 | 1 | 2:33 | London, England | Featherweight bout. |
| Loss | 21–11 | Islam Makhachev | Submission (kimura) | UFC 267 | 30 October 2021 | 1 | 2:25 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Win | 21–10 | Nasrat Haqparast | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 266 | 25 September 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 20–10 | Michael Chandler | TKO (punches) | UFC 257 | 24 January 2021 | 1 | 2:30 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Loss | 20–9 | Dustin Poirier | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker | 27 June 2020 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 20–8 | Paul Felder | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker | 23 February 2020 | 5 | 5:00 | Auckland, New Zealand | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 19–8 | Al Iaquinta | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 243 | 6 October 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Melbourne, Australia | |
| Win | 18–8 | James Vick | KO (punch) | UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Edwards | 20 July 2019 | 1 | 2:33 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 17–8 | Edson Barboza | KO (punch to the body) | UFC on Fox: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2 | 15 December 2018 | 3 | 2:19 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 17–7 | Gilbert Burns | KO (punch) | UFC 226 | 7 July 2018 | 1 | 2:28 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 16–7 | Jim Miller | KO (knee) | UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee | 21 April 2018 | 1 | 3:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 15–7 | Marc Diakiese | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC 219 | 30 December 2017 | 3 | 0:42 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 14–7 | Ross Pearson | KO (knee) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt | 11 June 2017 | 2 | 3:02 | Auckland, New Zealand | Return to Lightweight. Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 13–7 | Jason Knight | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson | 27 November 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Melbourne, Australia | |
| Win | 13–6 | Mark Eddiva | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Mir | 20 March 2016 | 1 | 1:24 | Brisbane, Australia | |
| Loss | 12–6 | Yair Rodríguez | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 192 | 3 October 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 12–5 | Hatsu Hioki | KO (head kick and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs. Hunt | 10 May 2015 | 2 | 4:13 | Adelaide, Australia | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 11–5 | Maximo Blanco | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson | 20 September 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 11–4 | Ian Entwistle | TKO (elbows) | UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt | 28 June 2014 | 1 | 3:34 | Auckland, New Zealand | Return to Featherweight. |
| Win | 10–4 | Nick Patterson | TKO (punches) | Australian FC 6 | 24 August 2013 | 3 | 0:34 | Melbourne, Australia | Defended the AFC Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 9–4 | Rusty McBride | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Australian FC 5 | 10 May 2013 | 1 | 1:31 | Melbourne, Australia | Defended the AFC Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 8–4 | Sihle Khuboni | Submission (triangle choke) | Shuriken MMA: Clash of the Continents | 13 October 2012 | 1 | 2:53 | Auckland, New Zealand | Return to Lightweight. |
| Win | 7–4 | Wu Chengjie | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Legend FC 9 | 16 June 2012 | 1 | 3:44 | Macau, SAR, China | Featherweight debut. |
| Win | 6–4 | Rusty McBride | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Australian FC 3 | 14 April 2012 | 2 | 3:57 | Melbourne, Australia | Won the AFC Lightweight Championship. |
| Loss | 5–4 | Wu Haotian | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | Legend FC 8 | 30 March 2012 | 2 | 4:52 | Hong Kong, SAR, China | |
| Win | 5–3 | Yuma Ishizuka | Decision (unanimous) | Australian FC 2 | 3 September 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Melbourne, Australia | |
| Win | 4–3 | Scott MacGregor | Submission (guillotine choke) | Supremacy Cage Fighting 8 | 30 July 2011 | 1 | 4:42 | Auckland, New Zealand | Won the Supremacy FC South Pacific Lightweight Championship. |
| Loss | 3–3 | Rob Lisita | Decision (split) | Supremacy Cage Fighting 6 | 3 July 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Dunedin, New Zealand | For the Supremacy FC South Pacific Lightweight Championship. |
| Loss | 3–2 | Sonny Brown | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Rize MMA 4 | 27 March 2010 | 2 | 2:00 | Fortitude Valley, Australia | |
| Win | 3–1 | Ken Yasuda | TKO (eye injury) | Rize MMA 3 | 5 December 2009 | 1 | 3:12 | Mansfield, Australia | |
| Win | 2–1 | Adam Calver | Submission (armbar) | Supremacy Cage Fighting 4 | 14 November 2009 | 1 | 2:52 | Auckland, New Zealand | |
| Loss | 1–1 | Adam Calver | Decision (split) | Supremacy Cage Fighting 3 | 25 July 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Auckland, New Zealand | |
| Win | 1–0 | Mike Taylor | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Supremacy Cage Fighting 2 | 7 March 2009 | 1 | 0:48 | Auckland, New Zealand | Lightweight debut. |

## Kickboxing record (incomplete)

Professional Kickboxing Record :
| 9-1-3 ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time |
| 2013-07-13 | Win | Edwin Samy | King in the Ring 72MAX, Final | Auckland, New Zealand | KO (left hook to the body) | 1 | 0:55 |
| Wins King in the Ring 72MAX Tournament title. ||||||||
| 2013-07-13 | Win | Victor Mechkov | King in the Ring 72MAX, Semi Final | Auckland, New Zealand | KO (punches) | 3 | 2:16 |
| 2013-07-13 | Win | Dawson Gray | King in the Ring 72MAX, Quarter Final | Auckland, New Zealand | | | |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes ||||||||