Images: Gary A. Vasquez/Dustin Safranek/USA TODAY Sports

Dan Hooker Offers To Answer Beneil Dariush's Questions About 'Still Having It' Amid Losing Skid

Originally posted on MMA News | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated 1/25/24

UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker is interested in sharing the cage with Beneil Dariush upon his return from injury this year.

Hooker, who currently occupies the #10 spot at 155 pounds, hasn't been in action since his memorable victory over Jalin Turner last July at UFC 290.

At the International Fight Week event, "The Hangman" outpointed "The Tarantula" to secure his first win streak since 2020. Unfortunately for the New Zealander, he hasn't been able to build on that momentum.

After suffering a broken arm against Turner, Hooker's attempt to make a quicker-than-advised comeback to fight Bobby Green at UFC Austin last month resulted in a recurrence of the break.

Having done everything by the book in his second recovery from the injury, Hooker is zoning in on this coming June as the likely date for his return to action.

And in pursuit of a place back in title contention for the first time in years, the fan favorite has a targeted opponent in his sights...

Hooker Calls For Dariush Fight In June

During a recent interview with Engage, Hooker reiterated his plan to make the walk to the Octagon again in June. This time, however, he attached a name to his comeback declaration.

2023 was a difficult year for Dariush. While he entered it one win away from a long-awaited first title shot, first-round knockout defeats to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan have seen him slide to #7 in the pecking order.

And after some violent setbacks, the 34-year-old has admitted questioning whether or not he still 'has it'. If he's planning on finding that out in the coming months, Hooker appears to be a willing participant for the test.

"Beneil. I'll fight Beneil in June," Hooker said. "I hear they're coming back mid-year to Australia. That is what could be cool, to fight close to home. Benny is ranked above me, coming off a couple losses. Let's go, baby.

"He's come out and said he wants to see if he's still got it. Well, I can check, brother. I'll check for you," Hooker added.

Judging by a recent social media post, Hooker is back to some form of training at City Kickboxing. An image of the team also included Israel Adesanya and Kai Kara-France, who also appear set to return from layoffs in 2024.