Dan Hooker takes aim at UFC in heated rant: ‘I’m not going to break my back for a company that doesn’t respect me’

Dan Hooker isn’t happy with the UFC.

Hooker flew to Las Vegas to attend UFC 317 to watch his teammate Kai Kara-France challenge Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title. Yet, before the event, Hooker had his tickets pulled, which he wasn’t happy about. He says that it will impact when he returns to fight, as he won’t be fighting injured or trying to save cards now.

“They tried to get me out of bed at 7:30 in the morning [eastern time]—the UFC booked me for some shit—which is three in the morning New Zealand time,” Hooker said on Submission Radio (via MMAFighting), “I didn’t even go out. I had an early night, but I’m not getting out of bed at three in the morning to do just about anything. I slept in, and I didn’t go to the UFC thing. They canceled my tickets to Kai’s fight and then so it’s like, I’m going to rush back and fight injured for a company that’s going to cancel my tickets to the event when I’ve traveled all the way to Las Vegas. I would have fought injured, but then someone at a desk has crossed my name off a list.

“You work in the office, brother, I work in the—you think there would be a bit more respect there for guys who literally give their life,” Hooker added. “The amount of blood, sweat, and tears I’ve poured into putting shows on for that company, I thought there would have been a bit more respect there. But there’s not, which is cool, business is business. We can fight on my terms then… I’m not going to break my back for a company that doesn’t respect me.”

Dan Hooker calls for more money for headlining

With Dan Hooker not in a rush to return, he says he will not be hurrying back to headline the Perth card and save the UFC.

Instead, he will make sure he’s healthy, and Hooker says the money also has to be right, as he doesn’t believe being the main event is worth it.

“Twenty grand for an extra ten minutes is the going rate,” Hooker said. “I’m a logical thinker. In what world do I get a half a million dollars for 15 minutes and then I get half a million dollars and 20 grand for half an hour?

“When I used to work at the bloody kitchen factory, do you think I did an eight-hour day and got paid a couple of hundred bucks and then I’m going to do twice as much work and get a fraction more money,” Hooker added. “It just doesn’t make sense to me. ‘Oh, but, you know, for the experience.’ Shove it up your f*cking ass, bro, I’m not going to work. I’m not going to work for twice as long. If you want me to go to work for twice as long, pay me twice as much, that’s how that works.”

Dan Hooker is ranked sixth at lightweight and is coming off a split decision win over Mateusz Gamrot.