Dan Hooker: The Last of the Pain Romantics

With a battered face and a thousand-yard stare, Dan Hooker is the kind of guy who doesn't know how to take a step back, even when his body is begging him to quit. With 13 losses on his record and just as many scars, the "Hangman" isn't here to make up the numbers: he's here to turn every main event into an unpredictable bloodbath.

🥊 Quick Stats

Name: Dan Hooker
Record: 24-13-0
Signature: A 64.3% finish rate that guarantees blood on the gloves.

The High-Five Block

Last 5 results:

• ❌ Benoît Saint Denis — KO/TKO (R2) UFC 325
• ❌ Arman Tsarukyan — Submission (R2) UFC Fight Night
• ✅ Mateusz Gamrot — Split decision UFC 305
• ✅ Jalin Turner — Split decision UFC 290
• ✅ Claudio Puelles — KO/TKO (R2) UFC 281

The Origin Story

Dan Hooker is the archetype of the "Balanced" fighter who decided that subtlety was an optional extra. With 4.8 strikes per minute but nearly as many absorbed, the New Zealander lives in the red zone. He doesn't look to manage the fight; he looks to break his opponent. His 77.1% takedown defense is his only real bulwark against the chaos he creates himself. He arrived in the UFC with one thing in mind: stay on his feet and trade until the other guy folds.

Life in the Top 10

His trajectory is an emotional rollercoaster. Hooker isn't a champion; he's a gatekeeper. While he's beaten the likes of Gamrot and Turner, he's also bitten the dust against terrors like Makhachev or Chandler. Those losses have left their mark, but Hooker remains that top 10 ranked fighter nobody wants to face because they don't fancy getting their ribs smashed in. He is the gateway to the top 5: you go through him, or you go home.

Useless Trivia

• He sports an almost identical strike-landed-to-absorbed ratio (4.8 vs 4.9), the very definition of a brutal "give-and-take."
• Despite 37 professional fights, Hooker maintains an impressive 64.3% finish rate, proving he never plays for points.

The MMX Eye

Against Salahdine Parnasse, the trap is massive. Hooker has a 48.7% striking accuracy and a defense that lets too much through. Parnasse is a cold technician, capable of dissecting a porous guard. If Hooker can't turn this fight into a barroom brawl where his war-hardened experience outweighs the Frenchman's precision, he's at high risk of a tough loss. It's a test of pure resilience: does the Hangman still have enough gas in the tank to stop a young wolf's ambition?

Dan Hooker is the last of the pain romantics, a warrior who would rather die standing than win by running. Do you think he'll win his next fight? Come place your bets and challenge your buddies on MMX.

📋 On the same card: Check out all the profiles for UFC Fight Night: Hooker vs. Parnasse

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