It was another tough night at the office for lightweight goalkeeper Dan Hooker, whose liver was destroyed by Salahdine Parnasse en route to a first-round TKO loss. (see highlights here). The fight was Hooker’s third straight loss, while Parnasse has now tracked himself down to 155 in the UFC.
Hooker said ahead of his UFC Paris bout that French fans sent him a number of death threats. Although we haven’t heard of any actual attempts on his life, the crowd at the Accor Arena was full of fans of hometown fighter Parnasse, and some of them tried to get Hooker up as he left the arena.
New video from the crowd shows Hooker leaving after being defeated and reacting to something someone in the crowd yelled at him. He turned around and began to approach the stands, but was ushered by security and backstage. Hooker threw the middle finger to the crowd.
“He wanted to get up with the crowd,” the video’s caption read, along with laughing emojis.
It’s pretty pathetic behavior to taunt a fighter after a loss, and it almost makes you wish security would be a little more lax so the naysayers get what they deserve. Arman Tsarukyan and Merab Dvalishvili has been criticized for chasing fans in the stands, but we’d give Dan a shot at it.
Although Hooker is on a three-fight streak, it’s worth noting that he’s one of the few people in the lightweight division who is willing to step up and face anyone at any time. Let’s hope the next time the UFC comes calling, it’s not to pit him against another absolute killer (like Usman Nurmagomedov). Maybe give “The Hangman” your next break?