Daniel Hooker Plans to Outclass Jason Knight at UFC Fight Night 101

Daniel Hooker spoke with MMAjunkie about his fight with Jason Knight at UFC Fight Night 101. Highlights are below:

On how the fight will go: “That’s up to Jason. If he comes in like that last fight, it’s going to be a bad night for him. If he comes in stepping off all those shots and running into some things, I’m going to set him up for some shots, and if he wants to run into them, then this might be over quick. Or he might be outclassed, wait until he gets tired, start putting some shots on him, touching the right spots and taking him out in two or three rounds. So it’s up to Jason – it’s not up to me.”

On studying fights: “I watch fights; that’s my hobby. I train as a profession, and then as a hobby, I watch fights. I break down fights. I enjoy watching the technique, breaking it down, so I see some things he does poor fundamentally, which at a high level, you’re not going to get away with. I see some flaws in his game. He has most of his wins by submission, but I don’t think he has the wrestling, so he hasn’t had the full picture. He has the come-forward, aggressive striking, and he has the jiu-jitsu with the attacking submissions, but I don’t think he has the top pressure, the top game or the wrestling capability to take me down. So when I say I see holes in his game, it’s because I see holes. Like, if you want to talk about the technique, I’ll sit here and argue with him about the technique. I’ve got no shame in that.”

On his losses to Yair Rodriguez and Maximo Blanco: “That was years ago. My game since then has evolved. I think you’re going to see than I’m on a different level. You’re going to see that I should be fighting guys further up the ranking. I’m going there to outclass the guy. Used to, my tactic was to take shots. I would trade shots, eat shots, but that is obviously not key for longevity in this sport. This is the sport of hitting and not getting hit. That’s what I’m going out there to show, like a flawless performance – completely outclass your opponent and take him out in exciting fashion.”

On a run toward a title shot: “I definitely see a title in my future, the way I’m going. I think I’m one of the smartest fighters in the game, and I think the way my game is heading and the focus and drive and the fighter I’ve developed into, what I’ve done in the UFC is nothing compared wot what I’m capable of doing in the UFC. I see myself going on a tear, and whether it’s good fortune, not much is going to get in the way of stopping me reaching that level.”