Jul 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Jalin Turner (red gloves) fights Dan Hooker (blue gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

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“Few Lefties Out There Having A Cry” – Dan Hooker Shrugs Off Backlash Over His “King of the Streets” Tournament

Dan Hooker is not worried about the backlash from the naysayers for his newest venture "King of the Streets" tournament!

Jul 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Jalin Turner (red gloves) fights Dan Hooker (blue gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Hooker has never been one to back down from a fight or controversy. The New Zealand lightweight has built his reputation on being willing to scrap with anyone, anywhere, anytime during his UFC career. His wars with guys like Dustin Poirier and Jalin Turner turned him into a fan favorite who bleeds entertainment value. But Hooker’s latest venture has nothing to do with stepping into the octagon. Instead, he’s stepping into the world of fight promotion with his own unique twist that’s got some folks in his home country pretty heated.

While recovering from hand surgery that forced him out of a planned bout with Justin Gaethje, Hooker decided to get creative with his downtime. He has launched his own boxing tournament called “King of the Streets.” The event features a $50,000 winner-takes-all prize with no weight limits and one-minute rounds. It’s the kind of raw, underground fighting concept that sounds like something out of a movie. But not everyone in New Zealand’s boxing establishment thinks this is such a brilliant idea, and they’re making their feelings known loud and clear.

New Zealand Boxing Officials Fully Against Dan Hooker’s Event

The New Zealand Boxing Coaches Association has come out swinging against Hooker’s promotion. BCA president Billy Meehan didn’t hold back when he slammed the event in a recent interview, calling it “straight-out thuggery” and predicting someone could get seriously hurt or even killed. Meehan went so far as to encourage police to track down the event’s location and shut it down before anyone gets in the ring.

The criticism seems to stem from concerns about safety regulations and proper oversight. Traditional boxing organizations have strict rules about medical clearances, referee training, and venue standards for good reasons. Underground or unsanctioned events lack these safeguards, which is what has the boxing establishment worried. But Hooker sees things differently and believes his event will be run professionally with proper safety measures in place. The disconnect between these two viewpoints has created a perfect storm of controversy.

Dan Hooker Unbothered By Controversy

When Hooker appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show to address the backlash, he delivered his response with typical directness. The New Zealand native sees nothing wrong with what he promotes and dismissed the naysayers.

“There’s obviously a few ‘lefties’ out there having a cry, but once everyone watches the full 45 minutes and just sees the respect by all of the fighters. Since when did putting on gloves, having a punchout with your mates become illegal? And it’s being run by some of the best combat sports people in the country, when did that become illegal?”

Dan Hooker on the criticism he's received in New Zealand for his 1-minute scraps:

"Deter me? I feel like you're now you've challenged me now. I was gonna leave it.

Now you're telling me, Ariel, there's people trying to stop me? Now I have to do it. Now I'm bound and forced." pic.twitter.com/1mI8cF4LmJ
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 28, 2025

The best part of Hooker’s response might be how the criticism has actually motivated him to push forward even harder. That’s classic Hooker right there. Tell him he can’t do something and watch him do it twice as hard just to prove a point. It’s the same mentality that made him one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC lightweight division. Whether Hooker’s “King of the Streets” becomes a regular thing or a one-off experiment remains to be seen, but one thing is certain. He is not backing down from anyone’s criticism anytime soon.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Dan Hooker

King of the Streets

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!