Coach: If UFC can push date back, we’re interested in Hooker vs. Ferguson

Eugene Bareman sees an opportunity for Dan Hooker to take on Tony Ferguson later this year.

Despite considerable interest in the matchup from fans and the two fighters involved, it looks as if Dustin Poirier vs. Tony Ferguson will not happen at UFC 254 in October. The UFC could not come to financial terms with Poirier, and Dana White has already said that the promotion is looking for a new opponent for Ferguson.

As for who that opponent could be, one name of interest is Dan Hooker, who lost to Poirier in June in one of the best fights of 2020. Hooker’s coach, Eugene Bareman, revealed in an interview with Submission Radio that his team would love to take Poirier’s place opposite “El Cucuy,” although they’d rather it be later than UFC 254.

“October is a bit early for us, otherwise we would jump in there straight away for sure,” Bareman said. “But if they can push it back. Dan just got off concussion protocol now, so of this week. So, he’s only just started back training. So, obviously October might be a hard push.”

Hooker vs. Ferguson may not necessarily be as big as Poirier vs. Ferguson in terms of name value or rankings, but it would no doubt be an absolute thriller for however long the bout lasts. No talks between the UFC and Hooker have seemingly materialized yet, but with Hooker ready to return to training, we may have found the answer as to who Ferguson will face in his first fight since losing to Justin Gaethje in May.

“He would do it,” Bareman said. “I would have to talk him out of it, but he would probably do it one hundred percent. But Dan’s just back now, he’s getting fit again, it’s good to have him back in the gym. So, yeah, if they can’t come to terms, and it sounds like they haven’t come to terms, then we’ll jump in there and fight Tony for sure.”