Dan Hooker asks the UFC for Brian Ortega in return to featherweight with Korean Zombie injured

Dan Hooker is looking to fight Brian Ortega in his return to featherweight.

Hooker recently did a test cut and made 145-pounds with ease and after that, he called for a fight with Chan Sung Jung aka Korean Zombie. However, Jung is injured and with that, Hooker says he talked to Sean Shelby at UFC 269 and asked for Brian Ortega which Shelby did not shut down, so “The Hangman” is hoping that is the fight.

“After Kai’s win, (I bumped into) Sean Shelby on the way out, and that’s the first time I’ve heard from him since the featherweight thing,” Hooker said on The Mac Life’s Pub Talk (via MMAJunkie). “He’s obviously seen it, and he was like, ‘Well, what are you going to do? 55, 45?’ I said yeah, 45. I can make 45 quite comfortably if I get something good. He goes, ‘Who do you want?’ I said ‘Korean Zombie,’ but he’s injured. What about Ortega? He goes, ‘Oh, I’ll have a look. I’ll send you a list.’ I was amped up.”

Image Credit: Dan Hooker’s Instagram (photographer not listed)

A fight between Dan Hooker and Brian Ortega does make sense. Ortega is coming off the title fight loss to Alexander Volkanovski and doesn’t have a clear next opponent. He has also fought Max Holloway and Zombie, and although Hooker isn’t ranked at 145lbs, he still is a big name and could be an intriguing option for Ortega.

Hooker is coming off a submission loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 in a fight he took on short notice. Prior to that, he beat Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266 to return to the win column after back-to-back losses to Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier. Ortega, as mentioned, is coming off a decision loss to Volkanovski, and before that he dominated Korean Zombie over five rounds to win in a decision in his return to the sport.

Who do you think would win, Dan Hooker or Brian Ortega?