How a wannabe warrior went from a pub to starring in a UFC main event

Dan ‘The Hangman’ Hooker plans to celebrate winning Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 168 in The Brit in Auckland, the pub he was a bouncer at less than a decade ago.

The 30-year-old doesn’t need to be told that modern day martial arts can take a man from rags to riches; he’s living the story day by day.

‘I am thoroughly aware of the opportunities that are being presented in front of me,’ is how Hooker succinctly describes his situation as he prepares for the headline bout against sixth-ranked American Paul ‘The Irish Dragon’ Felder. 

Hooker and wife Isabella. The couple share a one-year-old daughter named Zoey, born in August 2018

Hooker (right) is preparing for a headline bout against sixth-ranked American Paul 'The Irish Dragon' Felder (left)

Hooker (right) is preparing for a headline bout against sixth-ranked American Paul ‘The Irish Dragon’ Felder (left)

Dan 'The Hangman' Hooker (pictured) plans to celebrate winning Sunday's UFC Fight Night 168 in The Brit in Auckland, the pub he was a bouncer at less than a decade ago

Dan ‘The Hangman’ Hooker (pictured) plans to celebrate winning Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 168 in The Brit in Auckland, the pub he was a bouncer at less than a decade ago

Paul Felder poses on the scale during the UFC weigh-in at Spark Arena

Paul Felder poses on the scale during the UFC weigh-in at Spark Arena

Though MMA fighters keep financials close to their chests, last year The Sports Daily figured Hooker had made around US$1 million from a career that now has him on the brink of superstardom – and of massive paydays. 

The UFC can afford to fork out huge amounts to its stars as it’s backed by its own estimated worth of around US$7 billion.

If seventh-ranked lightweight Hooker defeats Felder, then he’s due a bout with a top-five foe, and that’s where the money gets serious.

Irish sensation Conor ‘Notorious’ McGregor is ranked at three and is worth around US$110 million, while Russian title-holder Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov is worth an estimated US$6million.

‘The winner of this fight gets a top five opponent and the lightweight division of the UFC is the most stacked division in the sport,’ says Hooker.

‘I’m looking forward to getting the win and I’m looking forward to getting one of these big wigs in the division.’

Dan 'The Hangman' Hooker plans to celebrate a UFC win at the pub that he used to work at

Dan ‘The Hangman’ Hooker plans to celebrate a UFC win at the pub that he used to work at

Hooker is the seventh-ranked lightweight in the UFC and a win in Sunday bout against American Paul Felder will earn him a bout with a top-five foe, and a serious pay cheque. Pictured with wife Isabella and daughter Zoey after a fight

Hooker is the seventh-ranked lightweight in the UFC and a win in Sunday bout against American Paul Felder will earn him a bout with a top-five foe, and a serious pay cheque. Pictured with wife Isabella and daughter Zoey after a fight

If all goes according to plan on Sunday, Hooker will retire with his entourage in tow to the nearby pub The Brit, there to pop champagne corks and soak up the adulation and the assorted other spoils that go to the victor.

What won’t be lost on Hooker, though, is the fact that less than a decade ago he was out there working the doors at The Brit as a bouncer, picking up the spent glasses and doing the rounds of the floors as he battled to make ends meet while dreaming of gracing the sport’s biggest stage.

‘My whole history will surround me,’ says the 30-year-old Hooker. ‘It’s been a long road, being one of the first ones from the region in the UFC and having enough grit to stick it out when it got tough. I’ve grown and I’ve developed. That’s the scariest thing about it. A lot of people don’t.’

Hooker was working shifts in a factory cutting marble for kitchens back in 2012 when his first big break came. It was a call from Hong Kong offering what he thought at the time was a fortune – $1,000 a fight. He immediately threw the factory work in.

Hooker enjoying some quality time with his daughter Zoey between training sessions for his big fight

Hooker enjoying some quality time with his daughter Zoey between training sessions for his big fight

‘But I soon learned you can’t eat for two months off 1,000 bucks. I don’t know what I was thinking,’ he laughs.

So Hooker picked worked as a bouncer as he fought his way up through the domestic scene in New Zealand and Asia before the call came from the UFC in 2014. 

The move gave Hooker the opportunity to secure the financial future for both himself and the family he was soon to start with his wife and long-time sweetheart Isabella. The couple welcomed baby daughter Zoey into the world in August 2018.

‘When I got into the UFC I knew it was little early, so I knew I had to get myself developing and growing as a fighter and I have just continued to do that,’ he says.

‘You get to a stage as a fighter – and any veteran, anyone who has been around for a real long period of time will tell you – that you are no longer afraid to fight anyone. That’s where I am at.’

Hooker is one of a growing band of Australasian fighters cashing in on their success in the UFC.

Aussie Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski is the current featherweight champion, while New Zealand’s Israel ‘The Last Stylebender’ Adesanya currently reigns supreme over the middleweights.

Both won their titles in the past six months and both are poised for major pay days as headliners.

Even those fighters currently unranked by the organisation have been able to change the course of their careers – and their family’s lives – after signing on with the Las Vegas-based sporting giants.

Again, while the UFC plays its payment cards close to its chest, Forbes has estimated fighters can pick up as much as US$500,000 for a win – and a further US$50,000 for a ‘fight of the night’ bonus – and most fighters aim for three bouts a year. 

UFC Fight Night 168 begins on Sunday at 8.30am, and can be streamed live on Fox Sports and on Kayo.

Hooker during an open training session for fans and media during the UFC Fight Night Open Workouts in Auckland on Thursday

Hooker during an open training session for fans and media during the UFC Fight Night Open Workouts in Auckland on Thursday

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