DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. – Claudio Puelles got what he wanted.
The rising UFC lightweight specifically asked to fight Dan Hooker and had his wish granted by the matchmakers. Puelles (12-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is scheduled to fight Hooker (21-12 MMA, 11-8 UFC) on Nov. 12 at UFC 281 in New York.
The Peruvian fighter thinks it’s the right next step for his career.
“I wanted this fight specifically,” Puelles told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I asked to fight Dan Hooker after my fight against Clay (Guida) in May. I talked to the matchmakers and I asked them for this fight.
“It took a bit for them to give it to me, and I even thought maybe it wouldn’t come together. I heard that Dan Hooker had switched managers and a few other things, so it’s not that I didn’t think he wanted to fight because I know he’ll fight anyone. But I thought maybe it was going to take a while, and they would just end up giving me someone else.
“But they put him in front of me, and I’m happy, and I’m taking this fight with responsibility – training hard and preparing myself mentally for that day.”
Puelles is on a five-fight winning streak, which includes three kneebar submission finishes. In his most recent outing in April, he submitted Guida to win a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
The bout against Hooker will be the first time Puelles will face someone in the UFC’s official rankings, which is why he wanted the fight in the first place.
“I like the matchup and … he’s been in the top five,” Puelles said. “Not that long ago, when my training partner Michael Chandler entered the UFC, he was in the top five. I think he was (No.) 5. I remember that like it was yesterday. So fighting someone who’s been that highly ranked and is currently in the top 15, that’s something that interests me.”
