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.<\/p>
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<\/strong>.” 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.<\/p> 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. <\/p> 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.<\/p> 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.<\/p> “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?”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>New Zealand Boxing Officials Fully Against Dan Hooker’s Event<\/h2>
Dan Hooker Unbothered By Controversy<\/h2>