UFC lightweight Dan Hooker has sent some advice the way of his most recent opponent, #6-ranked featherweight Arnold Allen.
Earlier this year, Ipswich, England’s Arnold Allen notched the biggest win of his career. At UFC London in March, which represented the promotion’s first visit to the UK since 2019, Allen had the chance to shine in a featured spot, sharing the Octagon with fan favorite Hooker in the co-main event.
“Almighty” certainly made the most of the spotlight, blitzing out the gate in a fairly uncharacteristic fashion. By finishing “The Hangman” inside one round, Allen answered a lot of his detractors who previously criticized him for his style and lack of finishes inside the Octagon.
But fast forward five months and there’s been little discussion about a second appearance in 2022, with the featherweight title picture appearing to move on without the Brit in it. Allen has even looked at the rise of other UK stars to suggest that only “funny” accents get a UFC push.
According to the man he beat in London, if Allen wants to join Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett in the championship discussion, there’s one thing he needs to start doing — talking.
Dan Hooker: I Didn’t Hear Allen Ask For Anything After He KO’d Me
Despite a mightily impressive 18-1 professional résumé, which includes an unblemished 8-0 record inside the UFC Octagon, Allen is certainly not talked about in the same breath as a number of elite contenders, something many put down to his quiet personality.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Dan Hooker — who is already moving on from the UFC London result having had a fight booked for November — spoke about Allen’s position at 145 pounds, with the 28-year-old’s next step being just as uncertain as it was immediately after his latest win.
For “The Hangman,” that lack of development is largely down to Allen, who he suggested hasn’t campaigned anywhere near enough since knocking him out in March.
“It’s difficult, because you can’t for round telling people how to live their lives. He’s gonna do what he’s gonna do. It’s just his personality,” Hooker noted. “But just call for it? If that left hook would have stayed on his chin and he would’ve stayed on his back, I’d be fighting for the title, you know what I mean?
“I heard him come out and say like, ‘After my last win, I’m not getting the respect I deserve. Now people are saying Dan Hooker’s washed.’ Brother, if you got out there and just said it with your chest, ‘I’m next, I get a title shot, I’ll fight whoever,’ then people will give you what you ask for,” Hooker continued. “But I didn’t hear him ask for anything after that fight. I’m gonna fight before he fights and he knocked me out. That doesn’t make any sense.”
Just this past weekend, fans witnessed one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history, with Allen’s countryman Leon Edwards dethroning Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. While the featherweight contender sees that as a feat he can accomplish against Alexander Volkanovski, he first needs to secure a date with the Australian in the cage.
In Hooker’s eyes, a more vocal presence should do the trick.
Do you agree with Dan Hooker’s assessment?