UFC 267: Dan Hooker happy to be huge betting underdog vs Islam Makhachev – ‘the boys are going to make some money’
- ‘The Hangman’ dismisses comments from Ali Abdelaziz and Khabib Nurmagomedov saying he will be ‘mauled’ in Abu Dhabi
- ‘This is Makhachev’s party, I’m there to spoil it,’ insists Hooker, who feels he can earn a lightweight title shot ‘after I get the job done’
Dan Hooker has everything to gain heading into this short-notice clash at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi this weekend, against a fighter many are touting as the second coming of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Every sports book under the Las Vegas sun has Hooker (21-10) as a heavy underdog versus Islam Makhachev (20-1) – but that’s a spot in which “The Hangman” thrives.
“I think it’s great. I don’t want to say anything that’s going to change that betting line too much. The boys are going to make some money,” Hooker told the Post.
“This is [Makhachev’s] party, I’m just there to spoil it.”
There have been plenty of barbs coming from fifth-ranked Makhachev’s team, after No 6-ranked Hooker replaced the injured Rafael dos Anjos on less than a month’s notice almost immediately after beating Nasrat Haqparast last month in Las Vegas.