Dan “The Hangman” Hooker had a ‘tell-all’ world-exclusive chat with The Morning Rumble - covering everything from his one-minute scraps to the convict-only bouts, Charles Oliveria beef, and his potential next showdown, Arman Tsarukyan.
After a roar of success with the first editions of his backyard one-minute scraps, The Hangman is taking it to Christchurch - this time calling for “people the system failed”, specifically “convicts”.
Dan has received a fair amount of backlash for the convict call-out, so we have the truth behind why he chose them.
So, why convicts?
Dan heavily reiterated that the concept was born from the cracks in the New Zealand combat sports system.
Fighters told Dan they were being banned from boxing cards with no explanation, including guys with no convictions and who work 9-5, and even Olympic boxers.
Boxing promoters are required to submit their fight cards to the police, who can then remove anyone without reason or room to appeal.
Dan pointed out that in New Zealand, nobody would ever be required to submit their rugby team to the police.
For Dan, this is an example of the system stripping away a proven outlet: “We can all agree that combat sport or martial arts is a great tool for young men and women who have too much aggression and energy.”
You're taking their ability away to compete, and for what?
Instead of taking to the media to do a song and dance about the perceived injustice, Dan said, “Fine. Let’s have a convicts-only show.”
And what does he have to say to the critics?
“Shove it up your ass. What law am I breaking?”
Fight Dog Example
A fighter named ‘Fight Dog’, who Dan told us about last time he chatted to The Morning Rumble, competed in the backyard scraps on home detention, bracelet and all.
Though his parole officer gave the nod for the fight as a “therapy session”, police arrested him for “breaching his conditions for engaging in violence and gang association”.
Dan submitted a letter to the court explaining the positive benefits of the competition, describing the bouts as “a vehicle for personal growth and a way for men to discover their limits, test their character and resilience.”
Doubling down on his letter, Dan said, “You think you’re going to throw Fight Dog, sit around in a therapy session with a bunch of blokes and talk about his feelings? His name’s Fight Dog.”
The judge agreed that the fights were no more violent than rugby league.
Building To Something Bigger
The scraps have already had over 300 million views, with the Instagram account racking up 130,000 followers in just under three weeks.
Put simply: “People love it.”
For Dan, it’s less about the hype and more about giving opportunities to people who wouldn’t get them otherwise.
His first show was for “the boys that never quite made it for one reason or another… It’s giving them that light”.
“It’s not their skill or the natural ability or their athleticism,” Dan said - it can often be a mistake from the past holding them back.
Lots of fighters have “come from nothing” and need “something to look towards”.
You just can’t tell them to sit still and go to work; they need a dream.
Women fighters are also being given their flowers. No professional MMA space has a weight class above 65kg for women, so Dan is giving these ladies their chance.
“The generation that is now bro, they’re world beaters, they’re killers,” said Dan. “But the next generation is gonna springboard off of them… so they’re never really gonna get…all the eyes, like 300 million views.”
“It’s giving opportunities to people that would’ve never received them.”
Dan’s next UFC Fight
Six months after a fractured hand forced him out of a fight with Justin Gaethje, Hooker has been accused by Charles Oliviera of ducking fights.
Dan put this yarn to bed: “I'm cleared to fight in November.. That fight was in October. I never even got offered that fight 'cause I had told the UFC that I don't have medical clearance.”
For his next fight, he said he wants Arman Tsarukyan: “I think he’s a scumbag, monobrow loser.. I’ll cave his face right in, that’s on the cards.”
At its core, Dan says his controversial one-minute scraps are not dangerous or inciting violence. They’re rebelling against a broken system, giving opportunities to overlooked fighters and proving the benefits of combat sports.
We love ya, Dan, and cheers for the world-exclusive chat. For the full yarn, listen to the poddy below.
