Outside Source
Hooker (24-14) is scheduled to welcome former two-division KSW champ Salahdine Parnasse (23-2) to the UFC in enemy territory at UFC Paris on Sept. 5. With the Professional Fighters League looking to retain Nurmagomedov (22-0) and the UFC rumored to have strong interest in the Russian, Hooker is willing to take on the unbeaten lightweight.
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Dan Hooker offers to welcome Usman Nurmagomedov to the UFC for ‘danger money’
Nurmagomedov is currently the most sought-after free agent in mixed martial arts after having exhausted his PFL contract. With the Dagestani hinting at a UFC signing, Hooker believes he is the ideal opponent for the latest PFL lightweight champ’s Octagon debut.
While some fans are calling for a matchup between Nurmagomedov and Ilia Topuria, Hooker is certain Topuria won’t take the risky matchup. The UFC veteran also believes that most top UFC lightweights won’t take the same risk and he recently reiterated that he doesn’t mind putting himself on the line if he’s compensated accordingly.
Hooker also notes that he has previously welcomed former Bellator champion Michael Chandler to the UFC.
“Who’s a better welcoming party? It was the same thing with Chandler; it’s the same thing with this Parnasse guy and it will be the same thing with Usman,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “No one else will take the fight. People are like, ‘Usman’s gonna come in and fight Ilia Topuria.’ Be serious, you think Ilia Topuria is gonna take the risk of fighting an unranked, non-UFC fighter? No one else is willing to take the risk… None of these other guys in the division want to risk it for the biscuit. So, they call up Dan Hooker; they offer him a bit of danger money and he welcomes these boys to the big leagues.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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