Dan Hooker expects to be the one that steps in should something happen to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 this weekend.
Hooker takes on Michael Chandler in the co-main event of the pay-per-view event taking place Saturday night which is exclusive to the
However, it’s the headliner everyone is eager to see as Conor McGregor takes on Poirier in a highly-anticipated rematch.
Hooker vs. Chandler was strategically placed as the featured co-main event bout should something happen to either fighter in the main event.
And should it be Poirier who has to pull out, Hooker fully expects to be the one replacing him rather than the debuting Chandler.
“Baby, I’m stepping in, I’m stepping in,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “You would have to send a security guard up to my room if say, Dustin Poirier fell out and then they threw him into McGregor.
“I’m doing a – what’s that movie where the ice-skating chick breaks the other one’s knee? I’ll be chasing him down. I, Hooker. I will be “I-Hooking” him in the bloody breakfast buffet. There’s no way, there’s no way.”
Of course, in that scenario, Hooker won’t have a say as it will likely be McGregor who chooses his replacement.
But the scenario as a whole is also unlikely, at least when it comes to a COVID-19 test ruling someone out.
“At the end of the day, I truly feel like that’s just gonna come down to whoever McGregor picks,” Hooker added. “If that comes down to Poirier, I feel like it just comes down to whoever McGregor wants to pick.
“It’s between me and Chandler, so I’m focusing on Chandler. I’m 100 percent focused on that and that fight. Everyone’s here, everyone’s on the island, everyone’s been tested. So, I think the chances of that turning out or someone failing a COVID test is slim to none anyway.”
You can watch the full interview below: