UFC fighter Dan Hooker is circling for the highly contested UFC lightweight title undetected.
UFC lightweight fighter Dan Hooker Photo: © Copyright Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz Photosport Ltd 2017
It's cold in Milwaukee, negative three degrees in fact, but Dan Hooker is never one to complain... about anything.
Some find him guilty of New Zealand's common "tall poppy syndrome" but don't mistaken this Kiwis' humble approach for weakness.
While Hooker's club City Kickboxing celebrates a one-year unbeaten streak with a second best club ranking in the world and their coach Eugene Bareman receiving a Halberg nod, the unassuming 28-year-old is leading the way undefeated in two years on his hunt for the UFC lightweight title.
Stealth mode - that's how he prefers it.
Standing in his way this time is fifth ranked Brazilian Edson Barboza who Hooker will face tomorrow afternoon at UFC Fight Night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
"Guys can spend a long time in the rankings before they get a shot at a top five opponent so to get that in my first fight in the rankings is a huge opportunity," says Hooker
"Everyone knows once you are in the top fight five you start positioning yourself for a title shot and I understand that? But I'm focussed on the task at hand."
Dan Hooker striking English veteran Ross Pearson at Auckland's UFC Fight Night Photo: © Copyright Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz Photosport Ltd 2017
A victory for the 14th ranked lightweight means a huge leap forward in the ranks. It also shows that while he goes about his business quietly, it's speaking volumes to the UFC and that's what counts.
The 32-year-old Brazilian he'll face has an impressive resume. He has losses to current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and title contender Tony Ferguson but has noteble wins over Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez and says it's here he feels he has an advantage over Hooker.
Hooker, whose four-fight win streak has him undefeated since his switch from the featherweight division to lightweight, isn't intimidated in the slightest.
"Aw gummon mate, gummon. He has had a lot of fights so all credit to him he is considered the best striker of the division," says Hooker
"But in terms of experience I have shown that I can compete with these veteran guys. I fought the most experienced guys in Ross Pearson and Jim Miller so I don't think it's an advantage for him.
"In a short space of time I've shown more development in my game and approach than he has in more fights."
As a mixed martial arts purist Hooker prides himself on attracting others like him to the sport and conversation and isn't bothered about how brightly the spotlight shines on him.
New Zealand's UFC fighters Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker sparring at City Kickboxing gym, Auckland Photo: © Copyright Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz Photosport Ltd 2018
He's the first New Zealand-based fighter to receive a UFC contract but is not one to brag, trash-talk, or even promote himself - he simply has a goal and is hell-bent on achieving it as a servant of the arts.
Hooker says he will leave that to teammate Israel Adesanya whose bravado (and skill of course) has seen him rise to international stardom
"Everything else around the sport the attention, the money, the positioning in the UFC that will all coming naturally doing well in the fight," says Hooker
"I just want to concentrate on the fight and not get carried away with all the smoke outside of it and take my eyes off the prize for a single second.
"Israel can take the heat and crack that mainstream market, he transcends that so it's the best of both worlds. I can concentrate on the fans and the hardcores and he can draw the eyes to the sport."
While it's not a path best suited to Hooker's personality he doesn't criticise those who do.
Recently the champion of Hooker's division Khabib Nurmagomedov had numerous verbal and physical encounters with Irish superstar Conor McGregor before and after his title defence win at UFC 229.
These big names are who Hooker needs to pass in a bid to claim the title but in a division stacked with world-class talent it only makes his hunger to win even stronger.
"That's just the assignment that a fighter like Conor brings to the division and having a big undefeated fighter oppose him," says Hooker
"It was good for the sport - that was the most highly watched UFC pay-per-view in history and it was in my division,
"The lightweight division has the most fighters of any division so it's tough to make a name for yourself so if I'm going to be at the top of any division I want it to be the toughest."
- RNZ
