Now is not the time to rest for Dan Hooker.
Photo: RNZ / Mabel Muller
Fresh off an explosive five-round duel with Dustin Poirier many have called the "Fight of the Year", the Kiwi UFC lightweight could be excused a week or two off to relax and rest.
Hooker punched himself to a standstill, and absorbed enough huge shots from the former interim champ to have some of those unaware of his line of work wondering if he had been in a car crash.
Anyone would understand him wanting to take his foot off the gas.
But, just a few days removed from his points decision defeat to Poirier, the No 5 ranked fighter in the UFC's most stacked division was having none of that sentiment.
"My motivation didn't get knocked at all. I feel just as motivated as before the fight," Hooker told RNZ from the Auckland hotel where he is doing his two-week quarantine after returning from Las Vegas.
"Generally you get in a fight like that and it kind of puts the flame out for a little bit and you want to have a little bit of time to rebuild.
"But if I'm being honest, the fight and the position I'm still in, even after a loss, has got me as motivated as ever."
So motivated, in fact, Hooker intended to hit the pads while in quarantine.
Both striking coach Mike Angove and wrestling guru Andrei Paulet, cornermen for the Poirier fight, are at the same hotel for the mandatory process and the trio had been cleared to do some training.
Hooker was also wasting no time in lining up his next opponent, setting his sights on another former interim champion, No 3 ranked Tony Ferguson.
"Ideally, that's my next fight.
"It comes down to the fans and they want to see that fight because they've responded to me and said they want to see it. That's definitely best case scenario for me is getting an opportunity at another number three ranked fighter in the world.
"But if Tony doesn't want to go, or Tony's not ready, I'm willing to fight down to prove my position as the number five fighter in the world."
Dan Hooker Photo: Photosport
Hooker already believed he had done that, even if he acknowledged mistakes against Poirier needed to be learned from.
Especially considering he had also outlasted top 10 contender Paul Felder in another five-round epic in Auckland earlier this year.
Poirier had already spoken of his high level of respect for Hooker after Sunday's (NZ time) bout, and the 30-year-old Kiwi was happy to return the compliment.
"The kind of shots we were cracking each other with, I've knocked people out with half or quarter of the shots I hit Dustin with, so of course I have an outstanding level of respect for Dustin Poirier.
"It's the same with Paul Felder. 25 minutes with a man that can take those sort of shots and take that sort of the damage and keep coming forward and not showing any sign of giving up or quitting needs to be respected."
The time for looking back, though, was done.
Hooker said he would be back in the gym as soon as he was out of quarantine, and definitely back in the octagon before the year was out.
Who would be standing across from him remained to be seen, but the City Kickboxing captain said he was sure he had the attention of the elite fighters in a star-studded lightweight division.
"I definitely feel like I earned my place at the table. People are not saying I don't deserve to be in there with the top five.
"You can see it in the rankings, they got shuffled around and I kept the exact same position, number five in the division.
"I feel like whether I fight up or fight down, I'm staring at another UFC main event in my next matchup."
