SUMMARY
- At UFC 298, Alexander Volkanovski got knocked out by Ilia Topuria after a punch in the face.
- Recently, a clip of Dan Hooker went viral as he was seen laughing at Volkanovski getting KOed.
UFC 298 will go down as one of the most iconic UFC PPVs of recent times. Former Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski was knocked out by the new UFC Featherweight Champion, Ilia Topuria, in the second round of the fight. In what shocked the whole MMA world, the greatest featherweight of all time could not defend his title against El Matador.
Alexander Volkanovski started the fight better than Topuria and was up on the judges’ scorecards up until the KO. But in the end, Topuria’s boxing combinations were too much for the 35-year-old, as a strong right hand caught him flush on the chin, instantly knocking him out. The 27-year-old became the first champion from Georgia and Spain in doing so.
‘The Great’ has now been knocked out twice in his last two fights inside the octagon. Many UFC fighters reacted to the fight live, while many gave their opinions on it afterward. As always, former 2-time UFC champion Israel Adesanya posted a video of him reacting to UFC 298 the next day. But there was one thing that the fans spotted right away, which has now perplexed the UFC fandom.
Dan Hooker’s unexpected reaction to Alexander Volkanovski’s KO confuses fans
In Israel Adesanya’s reaction video on YouTube, the UFC lightweight was enjoying UFC 298 with his friends and teammates; among them was Dan ‘Hangman’ Hooker. A professional MMA fighter from New Zealand competes in the UFC lightweight division.
When Dan Hooker was seen laughing at Alexander Volkanovski getting knocked out, fans raised questions. And they also had funny responses when a video of this was posted on X (fka Twitter). One fan commented, “This n*gga a menace” while another said, “Caught in 4K 😭😂”. Another fan expressed, “Lmaooo wtf”.
Dan Hooker was laughing after Alexander Volkanovski got knocked out pic.twitter.com/iFaPMfNc4E
— Casual MMA (@CasualMMAinc) February 19, 2024
While most were genuinely surprised at Dan Hooker’s reaction, some were trying to defend him in the comments. A fan suggested, “He’s like ‘been there’” while another said, “Just nervous laughter, clearing the air”. But another fan didn’t seem to agree and called Hooker a strange fella, saying, “dan seems like such a strange fella”.
Another user tried explaining Dan’s reaction. The user said, “He just knows it’s a crazy game. I bet these dudes all get together and laugh about it after a while man”. While it is evident how fans felt looking at Hooker’s reaction, their feelings are quite naturally justified. And that’s because of the kind of respect MMA fighters have for each other, especially the ones they’ve known for a long time.
Is Dan Hooker good friends with Alexander Volkanovski?
It is no secret that Alexander Volkanovski and Dan Hooker are teammates. And above all, they are really good friends and share a great relationship in and out of their MMA gym. The former Featherweight Champion usually trains at and is based at Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong, Australia. But he often visits primarily three other gyms to train at and hone his MMA skills.
The famous Tiger Muay Thai and Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA in Phuket and the City Kickboxing Gym in Auckland, New Zealand. The City Kickboxing Gym was recognized as the best MMA gym in the world for the year 2022. And it houses and trains some of the best in the business.
View this post on Instagram
Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker, and Kai Kara-France are just some of the big names known to train at City Kickboxing. This is the same gym where Alexander Volkanovski became friends with Dan Hooker, Adesanya, etc. And ever since, all of them have shared a bond of utter respect and reverence.
Hooker also famously accused Islam Makhachev of doping after Dagestani’s fight with Alexander Volkanovski back in February 2023. Dan has also previously supported the notion of Volkanovski becoming a double champ. He said that he has always wanted what’s best for his friends. And he said that he doesn’t feel like any kind of conflict would arise between them.
Hence, when the video of Dan Hooker laughing at Volkanovski getting slumped at UFC 298 went viral, fans couldn’t believe how his teammate and close friend could laugh.
