Hooker Details Quick Turnaround For Ortega Fight

Dan Hooker wanted back in the Octagon fast after his disappointing showing at UFC Paris in September.

The New Zealand lightweight suffered a first-round TKO loss to Salahdine Parnasse and immediately pushed his management for a quick turnaround. When he saw Tom Nolan matched with Renato Moicano, Hooker called his manager and lobbied for Brian Ortega, believing the aging featherweight-turned-lightweight was a winnable matchup. The UFC agreed, and the bout was set for UFC Qatar.

Hooker Confident Ortega Will Show

Hooker told Ariel Helwani that the frustration of the Paris result — a training camp with significant improvements but no chance to demonstrate them — fueled his desire to bounce back quickly. Ortega carries a reputation for withdrawals, but Hooker said he has never had an opponent pull out and expects the former title challenger to make it to fight night. "I'm excited to fight Brian Ortega. It's a big fight. I feel like everyone wants to see that fight," he said, per BJPENN.com.

Hooker enters on a three-fight losing streak, with prior defeats to Benoit Saint-Denis and Arman Tsarukyan. Ortega has not competed since dropping a decision to Aljamain Sterling in August 2025 and is making a permanent move to lightweight.

UFC Qatar does not yet have a confirmed date.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Dan Hooker details reason for quick turnaround to face Brian Ortega at UFC Qatar