After knocking out James Vick at UFC San Antonio, New Zealand’s Dan Hooker began campaigning for a fight with Al Iaquinta at UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia. Before long, however, Hooker was claiming that Iaquinta had turned down the fight.
UFC told me you turned down the fight. Quit acting like you want to fight me, you don't. #ragingbuildups https://t.co/1h9COKF0vh
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) July 28, 2019
“UFC told me you turned down the fight,” Hooker wrote on Twitter. “Quit acting like you want to fight me, you don’t.”
Iaquinta, unsurprisingly, denied this claim, which elicited an ultimatum from Hooker.
Put up or shut up. https://t.co/am6vUg3Xds
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) July 29, 2019
advertisement – continue reading below
“Lies,” Iaquinta wrote.
“Put up or shut up,” Hooker wrote in response.
Speaking to MMA Junkie this week, Dan Hooker explained that he’s ready to move on from this Iaquinta matchup, and that he’s now interested in fighting Alexander Hernandez instead.
“He keeps saying he wants it; I said that’s the fight to make,” Hooker told MMA Junkie. “If I’m lying, the fight would be booked already.
“(Iaquinta is) not taking the fight; I’ll fight (Alexander) Hernandez.”
Hooker’s training partner Israel Adesanya will be fighting in the UFC 243 main event, where he’ll take on undisputed middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Hooker says he’ll be in Melbourne to support his teammate either way, so he may as well fight on the card if possible.
“I’m going to be in Melbourne anyway, so I may as well have a fight,” Hooker said. “I felt good (against Vick). That’s three of my last four fights that have been first-round knockouts. I have no idea why (Iaquinta) keeps leading the fans about fighting on the card, but the UFC is telling me it’s not happening. I’m indifferent. If he’s busy, I’ll move on. No tire kickers, please.”
If Dan Hooker fights at UFC 243 in Melbourne, who would you like to see him matched up with?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 7/30/2019.