UFC Lightweight Dan Hooker has taken “Fighting at Home” to a whole new level by literally holding a one-minute battle tournament in his own backyard. What began as a cheeky experiment turned into a sense of virus after Hooker’s backyard brawl, which has attracted more attention than some local MMA cards.
Danhoeker’s Backyard Battle – Blood, Beer, $50,000
“There was a minute of scrap in my backyard,” Dan Hooker explained in an interview with Mac Life. Inspired by a trip to Thailand that hosted a similar event, Dan Hooker decided that New Zealand’s super heavyweight deserves his moment. “And in three fights, I was standing here and said, ‘I knew this was a good idea.’ ”
The setup was simple. The fighter weighed (in creative mathematics), gloves followed, and the bell rang. “Some were a bit cheeky in weight,” Dan Hooker pointed out, recalling the fighter who claimed 180kg but turned the scale upside down at the 202. “There are a few units there.
Despite the size and power displayed, safety was front and center. “It wasn’t just one issue, it ran smoothly. We knocked out about 30 fights in an hour and there were no serious injuries,” Hooker said. The most serious accident? “One fighter jet punched someone else by hurting his arm, which was the most serious injury we had that day. Everyone went home safely.”
The atmosphere quickly shifted from nervousness to celebration. “I was a little nervous at first. I’m not going to lie. There was a little tension in the air. But after the third or fourth fight, people realized that no one was judged. Everyone was pretty much in favor of it.
For those worried about backyard mess, Dan Hooker claims it’s all on the board. “The judges, very capable judgement, hygiene, everything was in place. Everyone did an incredible job.” Apparently, even our neighbors were f-headed.
But not everyone is convinced. “Some Boxing Oldhead watched the same Instagram video as everyone else and assumed. You assume. You make ass out of yourself, and ass out of me.” “But they’re doing my promotion for me, I’m in a national paper, I’m in an Australian paper. Everyone wants to hear about it.”
The matching fighter proved to be a challenge with weights ranging from 95 to 205km. “We matched similar weights in the first round, so by the time it goes up, you’ll be experienced and have a lot closer to the weight with a skilled fighter.
What about the award? “The winner was a 50-year-old Grand, and the doctors were so pleased with how it went, he gave all the fighters $1,000. Everyone was very respectful and even their neighbors were cool.
Dan Hooker isn’t finished yet. “We’re going to do something else. We’re planning on thinking this as an event on the North Island and then doing an event on the South Island. I’m not a promoter, I’m a fighter. I did that because I got injured. When I’m bored, I have scraps in my backyard.
Ultimately, Dumhooker’s backyard fight club may be the healthiest, even if it hurts slightly, even though they didn’t know that New Zealand of community events was needed.