- New Zealander Dan Hooker takes surprise win in Perth
- The only thing some fans wanted to talk about was his new tattoo
Dan Hooker took a surprise win over No. 5-ranked Mateusz Gamrot on Sunday at UFC 305 in Perth, but all fans were talking about were the tattoos he’s got since giving himself an extreme makeover.
The New Zealander, nicknamed ‘Hangman’, has been out of the octagon for over a year after breaking his arm during his victory over Jalin Turner at UFC 290.
At that time, in June last year, he had no tattoos, so fans of the fight were quite shocked when he showed off a huge number of tattoos at the weigh-in for the event in Western Australia.
Several people commented on a post on X showing two images of Hooker: with no tattoos at UFC 290, and with his arms and chest almost completely covered in ink at UFC 305.
Their statements are not pleasant for the 34-year-old’s tattoo artist.
“Easily the worst tattoos ever by a UFC fighter,” one person wrote.
“Bro had a midlife crisis early,” added another.
“This is what bad decisions look like,” a third commented.
A little over a year ago, Hooker’s upper body was a tattoo-free zone as he prepared to enter the octagon at UFC 290 in Nevada
Fighting fans were in for a huge shock when the Kiwi showed off his elaborate new tattoo ahead of his fight against Mateusz Gamrot in Perth last weekend
“Maybe it’ll make him a better fighter, like putting brand stickers on cars to make them look faster,” another fan joked.
Other responses along similar lines included: ‘I’m not going to help you, mate’, ‘his tattoos are absolutely worthless’, ‘NO THEN WHAT HAPPENED’ and ‘Is your brother divorced or something?’
The new look certainly didn’t hurt Hooker in the octagon, as he claimed a split decision win despite taking a number of deep blows to the face.
Fans went crazy as they heard Hooker gleefully tell his cornermen, “I love this shit,” as they gave him painful-looking treatment for his wounds.
On the UFC website, he was still ranked 11th in the lightweight rankings after the win. The victory was named Fight of the Night, which earned each fighter an additional $50,000.
It’s not the first time the New Zealander has faced criticism over his body art this year, following fans’ reactions to his new tattoos.
In January, he was ridiculed on social media after sharing photos of a visit to a tattoo parlor, with people commenting on the red design on his stomach.
“Honestly, and I say this without a joke, that belly tattoo is the WORST tattoo I’ve ever seen,” one fan said.
Hooker (left) didn’t win many fans with his tattoos, but they were very impressed with his victory over Gamrot (right) in a fight that earned him the fight of the night award.
Another asked, “Why do people let him do this?”
“He must be trying to win the worst tattoo contest,” a third fan said.
However, some observant commentators noted that the red design appeared to be a stencil drawing that had yet to be permanently applied to him.
The latest photos proved them right: the same design can now be seen in black ink.
Hooker was once considered a serious title contender in the UFC’s most competitive division, but he had a terrible run of fights leading up to UFC 281 in November 2022, losing four of his previous five fights.
Defeats to Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler were thought to have derailed his career, while a stint in the lower weight classes was short-lived following his defeat to featherweight prospect Arnold Allen.
However, the victory over Gamrot has put a much more positive spin on his standing among the best boxers in the world.
