Dan Hooker is ready to play spoiler at UFC Fight Night 287.
Hooker (24-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) welcomes Salahdine Parnasse (23-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to the UFC in the Sept. 5 main event at Accor Arena in Paris (Paramount+).
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Hooker refuses to be a stepping stone for former two-division KSW champion Parnasse, who’s looking to make a statement right off the bat.
“I’m here to ruin hopes and dreams,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “This kid wants to come in, make a name for himself, crack the top 10, he wants to be a superstar. Well, I’m going to fly to France, and I’m going to f*ck everyone’s night up. That is my plan.”
This isn’t the first time Hooker fights a French fighter. “The Hangman” was stopped by Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 325, but says drawing Parnasse feels markedly different.
“The death threats have been outrageous,” Hooker said. “I didn’t get it when I fought BSD. French people have been speaking French and telling me I’m going to die and telling me they’re going to kill me. …Whoever this c*nt’s fans are, they’re outrageous. It’s going to feel pretty sweet to shut this kid’s lights out and making these guys eat their words.”
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Hooker was Michael Chandler’s UFC debut in 2021, where a win for Chandler lead to a title shot.
“I don’t feel like the UFC’s got it out for me,” Hooker continued. “I feel like they just kind of brought me this fight because I’m the only one dumb enough to fight a kid that’s unranked or one of the only fighters in the top 15 that would take the risk, would roll the dice, would give this kid a shot. It’s win-win for the UFC. This kid wins and they get a hot, new contender in the division or I get back on a streak, and I get me a nice, big fight in the top 10 again.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dan Hooker on Salahdine Parnasse fight: ‘I’m here to ruin hopes and dreams’
