Dan Hooker hopes for Nate Diaz matchup at UFC 266, ‘I’m fighting on that date’

Dan Hooker is ready to return to action.

Nate Diaz made a highly anticipated return at UFC 263 this past Saturday night. In a non-title non-main event five-round welterweight clash with No. 3 ranked contender Leon Edwards, Diaz fell short via a lopsided unanimous decision.

Directly after the loss, Diaz expressed his interest in getting back to work within four months. Thus piquing the interest of New Zealand’s Hooker.

“It’s just an exciting fight, that’s a guy people want to see,” Hooker told John Hyon Ko of Sportskeeda. “I think he knows the kind of fight that I’ll bring to the table. I’m not gonna come out there and… he knows the kind of fight I’m gonna bring to the table.

“I’m one of the guys that would definitely do that fight justice. We’ll meet in the center of the cage and throw down and may the best man win.”

Dan Hooker himself is also coming off a rough loss. At UFC 257, Michael Chandler would earn the first-round TKO against the notoriously tough “Hangman.”

Ultimately, whether or not Hooker gets Diaz next doesn’t matter. He’s just fully intending on competing at UFC 266 in September alongside his featherweight titleholding teammate, Alexander Volkanovski.

“I’ve set a date,” Dan Hooker said. “I’ve talked with the UFC, I tried to get on that card so I tried to throw my name in the hat for that card as soon as I knew about that card. They told me no one was free, no one was unmatched or injured. So I’ll come back with this date, September 5. Volkanovski-[Brian] Ortega is on that card, my team will be ready to go again so I’m jumping on that card.

“I’ve set a date, that’s my date. [Nate] said he wants to go in three or four months, well there’s three months. If he wants it, we can get it. I’m not waiting around for anyone on that date. I don’t pick my fights. I’m fighting on that date and I do not care who.”