UFC lightweight Dan Hooker has revealed that frustration over his recent fight performance prompted him to accept a matchup against Brian Ortega at UFC Qatar, returning to the Octagon just 77 days after a loss in France.
Frustration Drives Quick Return
Hooker was defeated by Salahdine Parnasse at UFC Paris, an outcome that left him disappointed after what he considered a strong preparation period. Speaking about his decision to fight again so quickly, Hooker told Sherdog.com that failing to demonstrate his growth inside the cage motivated him to get back into action.
“When you just get out there and don’t really get to show anything, that’s frustrating. I put in a really hard training camp, made some pretty big improvements in my consistency and training, and I just didn’t get to show it,” Hooker said.
The New Zealander explained that seeing Tom Nolan scheduled to face Renato Moicano led him to contact his manager, Ash, to push for the bout with Ortega.
“Then I saw Tom Nolan was matched with Moicano, so I called my manager Ash and said, ‘F***, surely I can beat Brian Ortega.’ I was like, ‘F***, he’s old as well. Surely I can beat Brian Ortega.’ The UFC liked that fight, so I got it,” Hooker said.
