'Would Topuria fight someone Usman's never faced?' — Hooker calls out high-risk matchup avoidance

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker, 36, of New Zealand has spoken out about a growing trend of fighters avoiding high-risk matchups.

The most talked-about fighter in the sport right now is Usman Nurmagomedov, the PFL champion who recently became a free agent. With Nurmagomedov publicly pushing for a move to the UFC and a signing widely considered likely, word has it that few fighters are eager to step up as his debut opponent — a reluctance attributed to his unblemished record and the lofty reputation he carries into any potential matchup.

Hooker, who has fought a wide range of tough opponents at lightweight, shared his candid take in a recent interview with Submission Radio. "Do you think Ilia Topuria is going to take the risk of fighting someone who has never competed in the UFC?" he said. "No fighter is going to take that risk, even if there's a big reward."

His point was that even the most confident fighters tend to avoid bouts where the downside far outweighs the upside.

Hooker added that his own career reflects the same dynamic. "That's the same reason I ended up being Chandler's opponent," he said, "and it's the same with fighting Salahdine Parnasse now" — acknowledging that he has repeatedly accepted the matchups others turned down.

Hooker lost to Michael Chandler when he served as the former Bellator champion's UFC debut opponent in 2021. He is now set to face Parnasse — who holds a 23-2 record — in the latter's UFC debut at UFC Fight Night in Paris, France, on Sunday. In both cases, few fighters had been willing to take the fight.

MMA outlet MMA Sucka echoed Hooker's argument, noting that Topuria, after suffering the first professional loss of his career to Justin Gaethje at the UFC White House event, now needs to rebuild his path toward a title shot. "The last thing he wants in that situation is a fight against an unranked opponent," the outlet said. "The risk is high, and even a win does little to advance his career."

Ironically, Hooker's remarks also expose his own precarious standing in the division. Fighters riding high can simply decline uncomfortable matchups. But those on losing streaks or outside the rankings have little grounds to say no — often grateful just to be offered conditions such as a preferred next opponent in exchange for accepting the fight, or a guarantee they will not be cut even if they lose.

Hooker has gone 4-6 in his last 10 bouts and enters the Parnasse fight on a two-fight losing streak, his career clearly trending downward. Betting lines heavily favor Parnasse at -400 to -480, while Hooker is a significant underdog at +300 to +335.

Whether Hooker once again smooths the path for a rising prospect or derails Parnasse's debut and revives his own career remains to be seen.