Fans predominantly suggest Dan Hooker after Ali Abdelaziz tries playing matchmaker for Justin Gaethje

UFC fans want Justin Gaethje (left) to face Dan Hooker (right) next [Images courtesy of @justin_gaethje & @danhangman on Instagram]
UFC fans want Justin Gaethje (left) to face Dan Hooker (right) next. [Images courtesy of @justin_gaethje & @danhangman on Instagram]

MMA fans have been rallying behind Dan Hooker after Justin Gaethje's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, put out a call searching for 'The Highlight's' next fight.

'The Hangman' has been in the form of his career over the last 18 months, winning three fights back-to-back. His victories include a TKO win over Claudio Puelles, a split decision victory over Jalin Turner, and a recent Fight of the Night-earning clash against Mateusz Gamrot.

Hooker's efforts have also seen him crack the top five of the lightweight rankings for the first time in his career, and now see him potentially just one win away from a first UFC title shot.

Dustin Poirier, Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Arman Tsarukyan are ranked above him. Fans recently expressed their interest in seeing him face off against the former BMF champ in response to a tweet from Abdelaziz.

The Dominance MMA CEO asked fans this week for their opinion on who Justin Gaethje should fight next. He tweeted:

"Who you guys want to see @justin_gaethje fight next"

Fans then flooded the replies with their thoughts, with many opting to back Hooker as the next opponent. One fan wrote:

"Hooker"

Another fan said:

"Hooker or the trilogy with Dustin"

One fan added:

"Hangman"

Another fan wrote:

"Dan Hooker is the one to make imo"

One fan responded:

"Hooker makes perfect sense"

Check out more reactions here:

More fan reactions
More fan reactions

Justin Gaethje reveals how UFC 300 loss to Max Holloway has pushed him to take up golf

After being on the receiving end of one of the UFC's most historic knockouts at the hands of Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje has revealed the experience has been far more productive than he would have thought.

The pair faced off at UFC 300 in April, with 'The Highlight' putting his BMF title on the line against Holloway, who was stepping up a division. Many fans felt that heading into the fight, Gaethje's size and power would be too much for 'Blessed'; however, the Hawaii native rose to the occasion and delivered a stunning knockout punch in the fight's final seconds.

Gaethje then discussed the defeat during a recent interview with MMA Fighting, where he revealed the loss had been a transformative experience. According to the 35-year-old, he woke up from the KO with a desire to golf and has played it almost every day since. He said:

"I got knocked out, woke up, and I was like 'I want to golf' and I've been golfing every day since pretty much. You know, I've worked so hard for so long to be here."

Check out Justin Gaethje's comments here (3:29):

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Edited by C. Naik