Dan Hooker isn’t staying silent after Paddy Pimblett’s latest comments crossed a line and ignited one of the ugliest exchanges the UFC lightweight division has seen in recent months.
The New Zealander found himself under heavy criticism after responding to Pimblett on social media, with some fans accusing Hooker of going too far. What many initially overlooked, however, was the deeply offensive remark that triggered Hooker’s reaction in the first place.
During a recent appearance on an MMA Guru YouTube stream, Pimblett took an unprovoked and graphic shot at Hooker while discussing the lightweight title picture.
“People are saying Justin Gaethje is old and that, lad,” Pimblett said.“He’s two years older than Dan Hooker. Dan Hooker couldn’t grapple a f**king r*pist off his ma.”
The comment stunned many fans, especially given that Hooker and Pimblett had recently crossed paths in Qatar and appeared to be on friendly terms. With no fight booked between them and no rivalry brewing inside the Octagon, the remark felt unnecessary and personal. It didn’t take long for Hooker to respond.
After Pimblett labeled him “the lowest of the low” online, Hooker pushed back and made it clear he would not tolerate what he described as a disgusting joke involving his family.
“A ‘joke’ about my mother being r—ed,” Hooker wrote. “I could never tolerate that level of disrespect.”
Hooker also addressed Pimblett directly, referencing their recent face-to-face interaction and calling out what he viewed as fake friendliness.
“Ain’t said s— when we were face to face b—,” Hooker posted on X.“I thought we were mates, but you’re not a very good mate are you @PaddyTheBaddy, RIP Ricky.”
The post referenced Ricky, a close friend of Pimblett who died in 2022. That mention drew further backlash and prompted former UFC middleweight Darren Till to step in, publicly defending Pimblett and branding Hooker a
“piece of s—.”
Despite the growing pile-on, Hooker refused to back down. He stood by his response and reiterated that Pimblett’s original comment crossed an unforgivable line.
The exchange escalated further when Hooker warned Pimblett that things would turn physical if they ever ran into each other again.
“It’s on sight,” Hooker added in a follow-up post.
Away from the online chaos, Hooker remains focused on his fighting career. He last competed in the main event of the UFC’s Qatar card, where he suffered a submission loss to top contender Arman Tsarukyan. The veteran lightweight is now set to return at UFC 325, where he faces Benoit Saint Denis on January 31 in Australia.
As Pimblett prepares to challenge Justin Gaethje for interim gold at UFC 324, the war of words with Dan Hooker has added another layer of tension to an already volatile lightweight landscape, one that may not be settled with tweets alone.
