UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker confirmed that the UFC gave him extra money in order to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 267.

Hooker will step into the Octagon on short notice later this month when he faces off against Makhachev at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi. Hooker just fought last weekend at UFC 266 and he beat Nasrat Haqparast via decision, and he was expected to go home to New Zealand following the fight. But with the opportunity to face a top-five opponent in Makhachev out there, Hooker has made the decision to stay away from home and take the fight. It’s a decision that isn’t an easy one for Hooker, as he now has no idea when he will go back to New Zealand and see his family. But for the extra money that the UFC offered him to take the fight with Makhachev, Hooker believes that it was worth taking the fight.

“I knew I was the only guy, the only real option. But yeah, they called me up and I’m a happy man! I’ll see you in Abu Dhabi! I called up the missus, get out the red panties baby!” Hooker told The Mac Life (via MMAFighting.com). “Now it’s indefinite (leaving New Zealand). It’s not like it’s just stupid money. It’s money to justify what they’re asking me to do, right? They’re asking me to pretty much leave my country so with that I need enough to set up a life here for however long. Because there’s Kiwis that have been stuck out of New Zealand for a couple of years now, so it’s all well and good being like, yeah, I’ll take the risk but not being able to go home for a couple of years is daunting to a lot of people.”

Do you think Dan Hooker can defeat Islam Makhachev at UFC 267?