Dan Hooker
Active 2016–present · rated in 4 editions · peak overall 85.0
Scouting report
Punishing knees, precise kickboxing, and toughness make Dan "The Hangman" Hooker a fan-favorite in the lightweight division. Born in Auckland, New Zealand and representing City Kickboxing, Hooker secured wins over Gilbert Burns, Al Iaquinta, and Paul Felder. His striking and resilience are highlighted by a 90 Kickboxing, 90 Durability, and 85 Overall rating.
Peak ratings
By edition
Hooker went on a run upon moving to lightweight, knocking out Jim Miller in Atlantic City and Gilbert Burns at UFC 226 in Las Vegas before absorbing damage against Edson Barboza. He rebounded in 2019 by knocking out James Vick and dominating Al Iaquinta in Melbourne at UFC 243. His long jab, knees, and offensive striking power are reflected in an 84 Boxing and 88 Kickboxing.
In February 2020, Hooker defeated Paul Felder in a five-round Auckland war, before losing a five-round decision to Dustin Poirier in Las Vegas and dropping bouts to Michael Chandler and Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi. His durability, courage in pocket exchanges, and heavy knees anchor his 84 Boxing and 88 Cardio ratings.
Hooker authored a resurgence between 2022 and 2024, stopping Claudio Puelles with body kicks in New York, defeating Jalin Turner in an action fight at UFC 290 in Las Vegas, and outpointing top contender Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in Perth. His chin, dirty boxing, and fight intelligence are reflected in an 86 Boxing and 84 Fight IQ.
Dan Hooker, the Auckland kickboxer who kept taking hard fights
Dan Hooker grew up in Auckland playing both codes of rugby and found MMA through a friend after leaving school. He also kicked professionally, with a record of 9 wins, 1 loss and 3 draws and titles that included the King in the Ring middleweight belt. That striking base explains why his best-known fights are so busy.
Hooker's ratings, explained
Boxing. Strong. He knocked out Gilbert Burns in the first round in 2018 and James Vick in 2019 with clean punches.
Kickboxing. A top number. A head kick and punches knocked out Hatsu Hioki in 2015, and he was the first man to do it.
Wrestling. His weak side. Islam Makhachev submitted him with a kimura in 2021.
BJJ. Better than most strikers. He beat Mark Eddiva and Marc Diakiese with guillotine chokes, and he earned a black belt in 2025.
Strength. A solid number, enough to keep him in fights with heavy hitters like Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier.
Durability. One of his best assets. He took part in a bloody main event with Dustin Poirier in 2020 that earned Fight of the Night.
Cardio. Also elite. He went to a split decision over Jalin Turner in 2023 and won another against Mateusz Gamrot in 2024.
Fight IQ. Good, and he has taken fights on short notice, including a lightweight bout with Islam Makhachev in 2021.
Three ratings tie for the top, and they all work together
Kickboxing, durability and cardio all sit at 90 on his peak card. That combination is what made his Poirier fight and his Gamrot fight such good ones. He could take punishment, keep throwing, and win a split decision over Turner in 2023 in a fight that was ranked among the year's best. He makes long simulations tense.
Wrestling is what keeps him from the top tier
At 78, wrestling is the lowest rating he has. The clearest example is the Makhachev fight, which ended with a kimura in the first round. Arnold Allen also stopped him in the first round of a featherweight bout in 2022. Anyone who can take him down early has a clear route to a win.
Keep exploring
Closest lightweight profiles to Dan Hooker, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Paul Felderbest kickboxing 88 · weakest bjj 76
- Donald Cerronebest kickboxing 92 · weakest wrestling 76
- Jorge Masvidalbest cardio 88 · weakest strength 78
- Anthony Pettisbest kickboxing 96 · weakest wrestling 76
- Lightweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Dan Hooker's strongest attribute, Kickboxing.
Draft Dan Hooker into your build
Dan Hooker enters the pool on any spin landing on lightweight between 2018 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Dan Hooker is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Dan Hooker's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.