The bitter rivalry between Dan Hooker and Paddy Pimblett is quickly becoming one of the most personal feuds in the UFC lightweight division.
With Paddy Pimblett just days away from the biggest fight of his career at UFC 324, the Liverpool star has escalated tensions with Dan Hooker, a longtime lightweight contender who is not even his scheduled opponent.
Pimblett, who challenges Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title this Saturday at UFC 324, recently took a vulgar shot at Hooker’s perceived lack of grappling ability. The remark sparked an ugly back-and-forth that crossed personal lines, with Hooker firing back by referencing one of Pimblett’s close friends who died by suicide.
The comment immediately drew criticism from fans, many of whom accused Dan Hooker of going too far. Despite the backlash, Hooker has made it clear he has no regrets and no interest in backing down.
In a recent interview with Combat TV, Dan Hooker addressed the controversy head-on and doubled down on his response to Pimblett.
“F— around and find out, brother,” Hooker said.“You want to take it there? He tried to get a reaction, and he f—– got one. You go low, I go lower. You want to say some horrible s— like that, I’m going to think of the most horrible s— I can possibly think of and I’m going to bring that up too.”
Dan Hooker admitted Pimblett’s comments genuinely struck a nerve and said the exchange has permanently changed how he views the British lightweight.
“He genuinely pissed me off, genuinely got under my skin,” Hooker said. “He wanted to piss me off; he pissed me off. I wanted to say something so the feeling is mutual. I’ll want to kick your head in the next time I see you, and now you want to kick my head in back. I have no intention of making it up. There’s no coming back from that.”
Dan Hooker has made it clear he is not interested in de-escalating the situation. The feud began when Pimblett mocked Hooker’s grappling, saying, “Dan Hooker couldn’t grapple a f—ing rapist off his ma.” Hooker responded by accusing Pimblett of being friendly in person before switching his attitude online.
“F— around and find out,” Hooker repeated. “There’s s— you don’t talk about as fighters. He can say whatever he wants. He tried to get a reaction, and he got one. You go low, I go lower.”
While emotions are running high, both fighters remain focused on upcoming bouts. Pimblett headlines UFC 324 in Las Vegas against Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title, while Dan Hooker is set to face Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 325 the following weekend.
If both men emerge victorious, a future showdown inside the Octagon could become unavoidable. Based on Hooker’s words, any meeting would come with serious bad blood.
“I want to kick your head in the next time I see you,” Hooker said. “Now you want to kick my head in back. The feeling is mutual. There’s no coming back from that.”
For now, Dan Hooker is standing firm, making it clear that this feud is far from over.
