UFC veteran Dan Hooker understands that there is pressure on his shoulders as he prepares for the main event of UFC Paris.

At UFC Paris later this year, Dan Hooker will once again make the walk to the cage. This time around, he will be facing off against someone who has been making some real noise in recent years – Salahdine Parnasse. The French-Moroccan sensation made a real name for himself with KSW, and in addition to that, his appearance on the Carano vs Rousey card helped to elevate his stock even further.

Dan Hooker, of course, doesn’t care all too much about reputation. What he cares about is believing in his own skills, which he hopes will allow him to cause what many would consider to be a bit of an upset if he can get through Parnasse and perhaps set up one more run for the top of the division before he rides off into the sunset.

In a recent interview, Dan Hooker had the following to say about those who are doubting him.

Dan Hooker understands Paris pressure

“You take a couple of losses, you gotta prove your spot in the division,” Hooker told She Loves The Gloves. “You gonna sit there and take it personal or [get] offended? It’s just a natural life cycle of a fighter and I feel like people should ask questions.

“I feel like you take a couple of losses, people should start questioning, ‘Should he be facing this level of competition? Should he be looking to hang it up?’ Because what are we gonna do? Let a guy get his a– kicked like ten times and everyone goes, ‘Yeah, credit to you, still a legend.’”

Quotes via Bloody Elbow

At this point in his career, Hooker can be seen in a lot of ways, but one thing you can’t deny is that he goes in there to try and put on a show every time. Hopefully, regardless of what the result is, he’s able to prove why he has been able to have so much longevity in the promotion.

For Parnasse, this is a huge opportunity to showcase his talents against someone who has fought some of the very best.

Ian Shutts

A combat sports journalist specialising in MMA, Boxing and Muay Thai with a special interest in Asian combat sports.