Despite Alexander Volkanovski`s potential fight against Movsar Evloev, Dan Hooker believes Yair Rodriguez is more deserving of the next title opportunity.
Alexander Volkanovski recently regained his UFC Featherweight title by defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 314, marking his return to the top after losing the belt to Ilia Topuria. Topuria has since moved to lightweight, preventing an immediate rematch.
Now a two-time champion at 36, Volkanovski has options for his next opponent, with Movsar Evloev and Yair Rodriguez being the top contenders.
Dan Hooker Prefers Rodriguez Over Evloev
Movsar Evloev, ranked #4, boasts a 19-fight winning streak and a 9-0 UFC record, making him a strong contender. However, all of Evloev`s UFC wins have been via decision.
Dan Hooker, Volkanovski`s teammate, expressed his disinterest in Evloev as a title challenger, calling the matchup “boring.”
“Let`s do Yair again,” Hooker stated, advocating for Rodriguez to be Volkanovski`s next opponent.
Hooker Highlights Rodriguez`s Victory Over Pitbull
Yair Rodriguez has expressed interest in fighting Volkanovski again at Noche UFC 3 in Guadalajara.
Dan Hooker Supports Yair Rodriguez for Title Shot
Dan Hooker has history with Rodriguez, having faced him in Rodriguez`s second UFC fight in 2015, where Rodriguez won by decision. Rodriguez later became interim champion before facing Volkanovski in a unification bout at UFC 290 in 2023. Volkanovski won that fight by TKO.
Rodriguez recently rebounded from losses to Volkanovski and Brian Ortega with a victory over Patricio Pitbull at UFC 314.
Hooker praised Rodriguez`s dominant striking performance against Pitbull, emphasizing Pitbull`s long-standing reputation in Bellator as a top fighter.
Patricio Pitbull is considered a Bellator legend with numerous title wins and a strong record at featherweight.
While Diego Lopes suggested Rodriguez needed more than one win to deserve a title shot, Dan Hooker believes Rodriguez`s performance against Pitbull warrants a rematch with Volkanovski.
“Yair dominated and smashed him. It was an incredible performance and deserving of a title shot,” Hooker concluded. “I’d like to see Yair get another shot at Alex. He’s an exciting fighter. We’re not interested in Movsar.”
