Dan Hooker Bio
Daniel Preston Hooker (born 13 February 1990) is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Known by the ring name “The Hangman,” Hooker has been a fixture of the UFC since 2014 and is recognized as one of the most exciting Lightweights in the promotion. As of November 2025, he is ranked No. 6 in the UFC Lightweight rankings. He is a former King in the Ring Middleweight Kickboxing Champion and WKBF X-Rules Welterweight Champion.
Early Life and Background
Dan Hooker was born in Auckland, New Zealand, into a family of partial Māori (Ngāti Maniapoto) descent. He grew up in Auckland, where he attended local schools and played both codes of rugby throughout his schooling years. After leaving school, a friend introduced him to mixed martial arts, an experience that quickly sparked a passion and shifted his athletic focus away from rugby toward combat sports.
Coming from a region with a strong fighting culture, Hooker found an early outlet in kickboxing and grappling before moving into mixed martial arts training. His Auckland upbringing and access to established gyms in the city helped lay the foundation for a professional career that would eventually take him onto the international stage.
Path to MMA
Hooker began his professional mixed martial arts journey in March 2009, fighting primarily in his native New Zealand. Over the next several years, he built a strong regional resume, amassing a record of 10–4 while competing across Australia and New Zealand. His efforts in kickboxing were equally impressive; he compiled a 9–1–3 professional kickboxing record, which included winning the King in the Ring Middleweight Kickboxing Championship and the WKBF X-Rules Welterweight Championship.
Beyond MMA and kickboxing, Hooker explored submission grappling, posting a 3–2 record that included appearances in events such as the ICNZ Contender Series 1 No-Gi Submission Wrestling Tournament and the New Zealand 2011 No-Gi Nationals. He has also been coaching MMA since 2008, serving as a head coach at the City Kickboxing gym in Auckland and later opening his own facility, Combat Academy, in Ellerslie, Auckland, in mid-2018.
Dan Hooker Career
Early Career (2009–2014)
From his professional debut in March 2009, Hooker fought primarily on the New Zealand and Australian regional circuits, sharpening his striking and submission skills. He competed at both Featherweight and Lightweight during this developmental period and occasionally fought outside his usual weight, including a heavyweight bout in which he weighed in at 86 kg and won by second-round knockout. These years gave him the experience needed to earn a UFC contract.
UFC Debut and Featherweight Run (2014–2016)
Hooker made his promotional debut against Ian Entwistle on 28 June 2014 at UFC Fight Night 43, winning the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the first round. Later that year, he faced Maximo Blanco at UFC Fight Night 52 and lost via unanimous decision, marking his first UFC defeat. In May 2015, he earned a standout victory over veteran Hatsu Hioki at UFC Fight Night 65, becoming the first man to knock Hioki out in an MMA fight and securing his first Performance of the Night bonus award.
Following a decision loss to Yair Rodríguez at UFC 192, Hooker won a place on the professional fight team at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket during the 2016 tryouts. He returned to action with a first-round submission win over Mark Eddiva at UFC Fight Night 85, though a decision loss to Jason Knight at UFC Fight Night 101 closed out his Featherweight tenure. Shortly after, he decided to move up to the Lightweight division, where his frame and power would prove more effective.
Lightweight Breakthrough (2017–2019)
Hooker’s Lightweight run began in style at UFC Fight Night 110, where he knocked out Ross Pearson in the second round to earn his second Performance of the Night award. Wins over Marc Diakiese, Jim Miller, and Gilbert Burns followed in 2017 and 2018, all by knockout or submission, establishing him as a dangerous finisher. He suffered a setback against Edson Barboza at UFC on Fox 31, losing by TKO in December 2018, but rebounded in 2019 with a first-round knockout of James Vick at UFC on ESPN 4 and a unanimous decision win over former title challenger Al Iaquinta at UFC 243.
High-Profile Battles and Reinvention (2020–2023)
In 2020, Hooker engaged in two of the most memorable fights of his career, a controversial split-decision win over Paul Felder at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. Hooker and a unanimous decision loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker, both of which earned Fight of the Night honors. After a first-round TKO loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257, Hooker briefly left his gloves in the octagon before reconsidering retirement. He returned with a decision win over Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266 and accepted a short-notice bout against Islam Makhachev at UFC 267, losing by first-round submission. Following a technical knockout loss to Arnold Allen in a Featherweight return at UFC Fight Night 204, Hooker rebounded with a second-round TKO of Claudio Puelles at UFC 281 and a split-decision win over Jalin Turner at UFC 290, the latter at a catchweight after Turner missed the Lightweight limit.
Recent Form and Tiger Muay Thai Era (2024–Present)
After withdrawing from a scheduled bout with Bobby Green at UFC on ESPN 52 due to injury, Hooker returned in August 2024 at UFC 305 and earned a split-decision win over Mateusz Gamrot, securing another Fight of the Night bonus. A hand injury forced him out of a March 2025 booking against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313, but he was back in the main event spotlight on 22 November 2025 at UFC Fight Night 265, where he faced Arman Tsarukyan and lost by arm-triangle choke submission in the second round. He continues to train with Tiger Muay Thai, City Kickboxing, and Saigon Sports Club, balancing his career out of Auckland, New Zealand.
Notable Events and Milestones
Hooker was the first fighter to knock out Hatsu Hioki in MMA, and his bouts against Paul Felder and Dustin Poirier are widely regarded as among the best of their year. On 25 October 2025, he was awarded a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a major milestone reflecting years of grappling work outside the cage.
Dan Hooker Career Wins
Across his professional mixed martial arts career, Hooker has recorded 24 wins in 37 total bouts, with finishes coming by knockout, submission, and decision. His UFC tenure features multiple Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses, and he has added a 9–1–3 professional kickboxing record to his résumé, including the King in the Ring Middleweight title and the WKBF X-Rules Welterweight crown.
UFC Highlights
Among his UFC victories are finishes of Ian Entwistle, Hatsu Hioki, Ross Pearson, Marc Diakiese, Jim Miller, Gilbert Burns, James Vick, Al Iaquinta, Claudio Puelles, Jalin Turner, and Mateusz Gamrot, with bonus-winning efforts against Hioki, Pearson, Vick, Felder, Poirier, and Gamrot. His first UFC win came in his June 2014 debut, while his most recent victory came over Gamrot in August 2024.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the UFC, Hooker claimed regional and international kickboxing gold, including the King in the Ring Middleweight Kickboxing Championship and the WKBF X-Rules Welterweight Championship, while also picking up a heavyweight knockout win over Mark Creedy during his developmental years.
Dan Hooker Family
Family Background and Lineage
Hooker was raised in Auckland within a family of partial Māori (Ngāti Maniapoto) descent, with roots in New Zealand that have helped shape his identity and connection to local fight communities.
Personal Life
After running his own Auckland gym, The Combat Academy, Hooker closed the facility to focus on his fighting career. In September 2021, he announced plans to relocate to the United States due to ongoing New Zealand lockdown measures and work-visa complications, though he has continued to live and train out of Auckland.
2025 Season Performance
Hooker’s 2025 campaign was disrupted by injury when a hand issue forced him out of his scheduled March bout with Justin Gaethje at UFC 313. He spent the middle of the year rehabilitating and refining his game with the Tiger Muay Thai, City Kickboxing, and Saigon Sports Club team in preparation for a late-season return.
He was inserted into the main event of UFC Fight Night 265 on 22 November 2025, taking on top contender Arman Tsarukyan in a five-round showcase. Hooker came up short, losing by arm-triangle choke submission in the second round, a result that snapped his late-career momentum heading into the year-end break.
Despite the loss, Hooker retained his No. 6 spot in the UFC Lightweight rankings as of November 2025, underscoring his status as a perennial contender. With a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt earned in October and years of high-level experience behind him, he remains a relevant and dangerous name in the division heading into 2026.