Conor McGregor vs Dan Hooker? Hooker hints at possible fight against MMA star after booking Chandler vs Oliveira 2

When one door closes, another may open. That's how Dan Hooker sees it when it comes to fighting Conor McGregor, a man who appears to be opponentless in 2025.

McGregor (22-6), who last fought in 2021, has been booked to fight Michael Chandler since the end of The Ultimate Fighter 31 in August 2023. However, like everyone else, Chandler was waiting for a sign from UFC leadership that the fight was official. And we all kept waiting.

With McGregor unlikely to fight until 2025, according to UFC CEO Dana White, Chandler has chosen a different path. He will face Charles Oliveira in a rematch on November 16 at UFC 309 in New York. The former Bellator champion could face McGregor again if the fight makes sense, although a win against Oliveira could earn Chandler a title shot.

McGregor is a sought-after man, with two fights left on his contract with the UFC. In recent years, he has been criticized by everyone, even though his last win was in 2020. Hooker (24-12) has now entered those talks.

“I understand why they kind of scheduled this fight (Oliveira-Chandler 2),” Hooker told Submission Radio via MMA Junkie. “It's a big fight for the division. But I don't know – it's a weird fight. I tried to justify the fight in some way, but no, it's just a weird fight. Yeah, maybe that's because I'm up to something too. Maybe I'm up to a little bit, but I'll have to be fine if I don't say anything.

“I understand why Chandler wants the fight. If he wins against Oliveira, the UFC has obviously promised him a title fight, I'm sure of that. I don't know exactly what Charles will get out of it. At our level, when you're in the top five or six in the division, every day is a no-go. In all these fights, it's a bit of a matter of luck.”

Hooker has enjoyed a career resurgence, winning three straight fights after previously going 1-4. His most recent fight was against Mateusz Gamrot, which puts him at number five in the UFC's lightweight rankings.

With Oliveira (#2) and Chandler (#6) facing off, McGregor needs a big fight to get back into title contention. Perhaps it's “The Hangman” who gets the nod.