Dan Hooker discusses "weird" Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler fight, previews UFC 309 co-main clash

Dan Hooker recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming five-round rematch between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler, which is set to serve as the co-main event of UFC 309.

'Iron' has been out of action for nearly two years, having spent an extended period anticipating a showdown with Conor McGregor. However, with that fight now seemingly all the more unlikely, Chandler has shifted his focus. He is now set on avenging his UFC 262 lightweight championship loss to 'do Bronx' to get back into the title picture.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Hooker emphasized the importance of the Oliveira vs. Chandler rematch, calling it a pivotal fight for the 155-pound division. However, 'The Hangman' hinted that he might have a fight of his own on the horizon, adding that this makes the situation feel a bit odd from his perspective.

"I get why they [UFC] kind of put that fight together; that's a big fight for the division, but I don't know, it's a weird fight... Earlier, I was trying to justify the fight, but no, it's just a weird fight. Yeah, that might be just because I might have something up my sleeve as well, too, there, brother. Might have a little something on the fire there, but it must be good if I'm saying nothing."

The 34-year-old Kiwi further suggested that the UFC likely promised Chandler a title shot if he can overcome Oliveira:

"I get why Chandler would want the fight, like obviously, if he gets past Oliveira, the UFC has kind of promised him a title shot, but I don't know too much about what Charles will get out of it."

Check out Dan Hooker's comments below (2:35):

'The Hangman' is fresh off a hard-fought split-decision victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 last month. This crucial win propelled Hooker into the top five of the lightweight rankings, firmly positioning him within reach of title contention.

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Joe Rogan discusses Dan Hooker as a potential contender for Islam Makhachev

During a recent episode of his podcast earlier this month, Joe Rogan delved into potential future challengers for reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and made a compelling case for Dan Hooker as a formidable contender down the line.

Rogan highlighted that Hooker has demonstrated remarkable resilience and has already proven his ability to compete at the highest level against the division’s elite competition:

"People forget about Dan Hooker. They forgot about him, too. He's a dog and went blow-for-blow with Dustin Poirier. That was as close a fight as you're gonna get. And again, another change of the career, right? Dustin moves on from that, gets the Conor [McGregor] fights... People forget about that fight. That was a f**king very close fight... [Hooker is] a bad motherf**ker."

Check out Joe Rogan's comments below (1:30:03):