Dan Hooker laughs off Charles Oliveira's 'false accusations' of rejecting UFC Rio fight
Oliveira (35-11 MMA, 23-11 UFC) accused Hooker of rejecting a bout offer for the UFC Fight Night 261 headliner on Oct. 11 at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC), who's been recovering from hand surgery, initially called out Oliveira for a November showdown and explained why that's the earliest he can fight.
"Charlie Olives, you've been lying in my name, my friend," Hooker told Sky Sports New Zealand. "He said I was offered a fight with him October in Brazil, and I turned it down. False accusations. I was never offered. You think that's really how that phone call went? You think in your mind of minds, in your heart of hearts, that I got a phone call from the UFC that said, 'Do you want to fight semi-conscious Charles Oliveira in eight weeks?' And I said, 'Oh no, I'm scared of Charlie Olives' lifeless body floating around the cage.' No, that's not how that went down. I was never offered that fight. I require medical clearance for my hand. I went to the surgeon. He did not medically clear me for October. He cleared me for November."
As a result, Oliveira will take on Rafael Fiziev (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in the main event for the UFC's return to Brazil. Hooker questioned Oliveira and his team's decision to take a fight just three months after suffering a clean knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 317.
"I can't even imagine why he's fighting in October," Hooker said. "I don't know who watched his last fight against Ilia Topuria, and seen the back of his head bounce off the mat like a basketball and said, 'You know what, I'd like to see him match for a fight in six weeks' time against Rafael Fiziev.' That makes absolutely no sense. ... Are you serious?
"Six weeks ago, he was knocked out bad, unconscious, and now in eight weeks' time, he's going to step in the cage against Rafael Fiziev. That's three-and-a-half months between his last knockout loss – so you're telling me right now that he's in training camp, in sparring, getting hit in the head after that. Six weeks' time after getting absolutely stone-cold flat lined. As a fan, I can't see anyone even wanting to make this fight happen against a guy like Rafael Fiziev."
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