Hooker: I'll Be Usman Nurmagomedov's First UFC Opponent

Dan Hooker believes he will be Usman Nurmagomedov's first opponent whenever the undefeated former PFL lightweight champion signs with the UFC, and he's built his case on simple math: nobody else in the division wants the risk.

Usman Nurmagomedov is currently a free agent after his run atop the PFL lightweight division, and persistent rumors have him ticketed for the UFC roster. Hooker went further, suggesting Islam Makhachev's move up to welterweight last year was tied to Usman's looming arrival at 155 pounds. There's no confirmation of that theory beyond Hooker's own read of the situation, but his logic on who actually fights Usman first is grounded in how the UFC has operated for years.

Why Hooker Thinks He Gets the Call

Hooker's argument is that ranked lightweights have nothing to gain and everything to lose by fighting an outsider with no UFC ranking attached to his name. He doesn't think a former two-division champion like Ilia Topuria, or anyone else near the top of the 155-pound rankings, would risk a fight against someone the UFC audience has never seen inside the Octagon. He's made a career out of taking exactly those fights.

Hooker compared the situation directly to his own history. He fought Michael Chandler in Chandler's UFC debut, and he's doing the same thing again this weekend against Salahdine Parnasse. His read is blunt: nobody else takes those fights, so the UFC calls him, offers what he calls "a bit of danger money," and he welcomes the newcomers to the big leagues.

That track record gives his prediction more weight than it might carry from anyone else in the top fifteen. If the UFC signs Usman Nurmagomedov, Hooker is the fighter who has already shown he'll say yes to a live, unranked talent nobody else wants to touch.

Hooker isn't hiding his motive either. He said the appeal of fighting Usman would be facing a fighter with real lineage and doing it on the road, ruining a hometown debut the way he's tried to do to others. He described the idea of spoiling that kind of moment as something that would give him "a very fuzzy feeling."

The Business Ahead of That: UFC Paris

None of this matters if Hooker doesn't get through Saturday first. He's dropped his last two fights and needs a win over Parnasse at UFC Paris to stay relevant in a stacked lightweight division, let alone position himself as the UFC's go-to option for a Usman Nurmagomedov booking down the line. Parnasse, a former two-division KSW champion, enters as a heavy favorite in his own right, with sportsbooks pricing him as high as a -400 pick over the veteran Kiwi in some markets. That line tells its own story: bookmakers see this fight the same way Hooker frames every one of these debut assignments, as a dangerous style clash where the newcomer is live but the veteran brings a puncher's chance and a much deeper well of UFC experience.

If Hooker beats Parnasse, his case as the promotion's preferred debut-spoiler only gets stronger, and a fight with Usman Nurmagomedov becomes an easier sell as a betting proposition once it's actually official. If he loses again, it's hard to see the UFC handing him a third straight test against a hyped new addition instead of rebuilding him against someone lower on the ladder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Dan Hooker think he'll fight Usman Nurmagomedov first in the UFC?

Dan Hooker believes ranked UFC lightweights and contenders like Ilia Topuria won't risk fighting an unranked newcomer like Usman Nurmagomedov, leaving him as the fighter the UFC typically calls to welcome debuting stars, as he did against Michael Chandler.

Is Usman Nurmagomedov signed with the UFC?

As of now, Usman Nurmagomedov is a free agent after his run as PFL lightweight champion, and he is widely rumored to be heading to the UFC, though no signing has been confirmed.

Who is Dan Hooker fighting next?

Dan Hooker faces Salahdine Parnasse, a former two-division KSW champion, in Parnasse's UFC debut at UFC Paris this weekend.