Hooker No Longer On Good Terms With Pimblett – ‘I Want To Kick Your Head In’
The tension has escalated between Dan Hooker and Paddy Pimblett, with the pair slamming each other online.
The friction reached a boiling point in January after Pimblett mocked Hooker’s wrestling skills, crudely stating that the New Zealander “couldn’t grapple a rapist off his ma.” Hooker responded by bringing up Ricky, a close friend of Pimblett’s who died by suicide in 2022, which angered Paddy.
While Pimblett—a vocal advocate for men’s mental health—branded the reference as “the lowest of the low,” Hooker stood his ground. He maintained that if Pimblett chooses to “go low” by targeting his family, he is prepared to go even lower in return.
This comments at a time when both fighters are preparing for big fights. Pimblett faces Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 on Saturday. The winner puts themselves in a position to face the full champion Ilia Topuria. The fight is also the UFC’s first card on Paramount+ following their new $7.7 billion broadcast deal.
Hooker Reacts
As for Hooker, he takes on Benoît Saint Denis on the Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2 undercard at UFC 325 on January 31. Hooker is looking to bounce back from his submission loss to Arman Tsarukyan. Hooker has issued an “on site” warning to Pimblett, claiming their former friendship is officially over.
“F**k around and find out, brother. That’s all you can say about that, f*ck around and find out. You want to take it there? There’s shit you don’t talk about as fighters. He can say whatever he wanted, he tried to get a reaction, he f**king got one. You go low, I go lower. You want to say some horrible s**t like that, yeah, I’m going to think of the most horrible s**t I can possibly and I’m going to bring that s**t up, too.
“He genuinely p***ed me off. He genuinely got under my skin and he got a reaction. He wanted to pi** me off, he pi**ed me off. I wanted to say something so the feeling’s mutual. I want to kick your head in the next time I see you, now you want to kick my head in back. Now the feeling is mutual. I’ve got no intention of making up, there’s no coming back from that,” Hooker said
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