Hooker Admits Distractions Led To Recent UFC Losses

Dan Hooker has owned up to letting outside business interests derail his preparation ahead of back-to-back knockout losses in the UFC lightweight division.

The veteran New Zealander told Sherdog that his expanding profile brought demands that pulled him away from training. Between running his own fight promotion, managing multiple business deals, and traveling for meetings, Hooker said he lost the singular focus that defined the first decade of his career. "Obviously, with success and you get to the higher moving up, you get pulled in a million different directions," he said. "Some of those distractions crept into my habits."

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Hooker Returns To Basics Before Parnasse Fight

Hooker faces Salahdine Parnasse in a main event at UFC Paris on September 5. He described his early routine as "eat, sleep, train, eat, sleep, train, eat, sleep, train, fight" — a cycle that left no room for distraction. That changed as opportunities multiplied. "That led to the last few performances where you're just not showing up and giving it the time and energy and focus that this career requires," Hooker said.

The 34-year-old has been stopped in his last two outings. He claims he has since shut out the noise and returned to a stripped-down camp ahead of the Parnasse matchup. "I've turned the noise down on everything else going on in my life," he said.

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Parnasse makes his UFC debut on short notice. Weigh-ins are scheduled for September 4 at 10 a.m. local time in Paris.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Dan Hooker admits distractions crept in before recent UFC struggles