Dan Hooker willing to welcome Usman Nurmagomedov to UFC because 'no one else will'

Dan Hooker (24-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) is set to face former two-division KSW champion Salahdine Parnasse (23-2) in the UFC Fight Night 287 main event at Accor Arena in Paris on Saturday. Hooker has positioned himself as the go-to fighter for high-profile organizational debuts, having previously faced ex-Bellator champion Michael Chandler in his UFC debut in 2021, a fight Hooker lost. With PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov (22-0) potentially joining the UFC, Hooker has volunteered to welcome him as well, stating that other top fighters like Ilia Topuria are unwilling to take the risk of fighting unranked non-UFC newcomers.