Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev? Dan Hooker would rather Yair Rodriguez get the next title shot.
After more than a year, Alexander Volkanovski is again on top of the UFC Featherweight Division. The champion restored his title on Saturday evening with a grim decision victory over dangerous competition Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 314.
Volkanovski went without the title for 14 months, after he had lost it by knockout to Ilia Topuria on UFC 298. Volkanovski did not get the chance to avenge his loss with Topuria who give up the title for a lightweight future.
Now a double champion at the age of 36, Volkanovski's options for his next title defense with top candidates Movsar Evloev and Yair Rodriguez to choose from.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Dan Hooker arranges 'boring' Movsar Evloev for Alexander Volkanovski
A place above Rodriguez, the #4-ranged Movsar Evloev runs on a win with 19 fights and is 9-0 in the UFC Vederweight Division.
While his CV is shouting 'title candidate', all nine UFC victories of Evloev have come through a decision …
A teammate of Alexander Volkanovsky's, the always exciting UFC light weight than Hooker is simply not a fan.
“That's boring,” Hooker said about Evloev who may fight for the title on Submission Radio.
“Let's do you again,” Hooker said about the next challenger of Volkanovski.
Yair Rodriguez said after the fight that he wanted to fight Volkanovski at Noche UFC 3 in Guadalajara.
Dan Hooker supports former enemy Yair Rodriguez for the next title shot
Dan Hooker was actually the second UFC fight of Yair Rodriguez after winning 'The Ultimate Fighter Latin -America'. In 2015, Rodriguez has a unanimous decision victory over UFC 192.
Almost 100 ppv events later, Rodriguez would fight the teammate Volkanovski van Hooker in a title Unification Bout on UFC 290 in 2023. Rodriguez had become the interim champion, while Volkanovski challenged Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt.
Volkanovski was too well completed for the Taekwondo hunter, who with land and pound in the third round to defend his title.
'El Pantera' bounced back from this and a loss of submission to Brian Ortega with a dominant victory over former Tweedisie bell champion Patricio Pitbull on UFC 314.
Rodriguez set up a striking clinic against Pitbull and took it apart with stairs. Rodriguez almost spent the 42-Vecht veteran in the final round.
“That was sick,” Hooker said about Rodriguez who defeated Patricio Pitbull.
“Pitbull has been in the Bellator scene for the longest time. He is like another Michael Chandler who comes through, an exciting man putting firefights on.”
Patricio Pitbull is the Consensus Greatest Bellator Fighter of all time with 15 title profits and at 145 pounds he had only lost twice in the last decade.
Although Diego Lopes claimed that one victory was not enough for Rodriguez to get the title shot, Hooker will see Hooker Rodriguez as a worthy competitor to challenge the belt of Volkanovski.
“Yair was able to just dominate and beat him. That was an incredible performance and I want to earn a title,” Hooker said.
“I would like to see Yair standing up and gets a new chance of Alex. He is an exciting hunter. We are not interested in Mosvar.” [laughs]