Dan Hooker On Usman Nurmagomedov

Dan Hooker says he'd be open to facing PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov if he signs with the UFC, pointing to his history of taking on newcomers other ranked fighters avoid.

"It'll be the same thing with Usman. No one else will take the fight. You think Ilia Topuria's going to take that risk of fighting an unranked non-UFC fighter? No one else wants to take the risk," Hooker

Hooker previously welcomed Michael Chandler to the UFC in January 2021, a fight he lost by first-round knockout. He's next set to headline UFC Paris on September 5 against Salahdine Parnasse, a two-division KSW champion making his own promotional debut.

Nurmagomedov remains outside the UFC for now, but speculation continues to build around a potential move once his PFL exclusive negotiating window closes at the end of October — a window made more notable after he recently turned down a $2 million contract offer to stay.