Dan Hooker
UFC 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 79 Kickboxing, 78 Durability, and 82 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 engaging Dustin Poirier in a close fight 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.
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 our own, built from independent research and from how Dan Hooker is regarded by the MMA community, with the EA Sports UFC games used only as a starting baseline for the scale. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Dan Hooker's real-world abilities. See the disclaimer below.