Dan Hooker is fine being considered a gatekeeper heading into UFC Paris.

Hooker is set to headline UFC Paris on Saturday against newcomer Salahdine Parnasse. Heading into the fight, Hooker is a sizable +420 underdog while the Frenchman is a -650 favorite on FanDuel.

Although Hooker is a sizable underdog, he has plenty of confidence in himself that he can silence the Paris crowd and upset Parnasse. If he does upset Parnasse, Hooker knows he won't be considered a gatekeeper anymore and will be back to a true contender.

“I'm more than happy to play the role that I'm in right now and the role that I'm in right now is gatekeeping the top 10 of the UFC's lightweight division,†Hooker said at UFC Paris media day. “And I'm more than happy to play that role. Is that a position that defines my career? No, it's not. You get your hand raised, and then I'll be looking up at the rankings, and I'll be looking to get back in the mix and to get myself back to title contention.

Dan Hooker eyes top-10 opponent after UFC Paris

“Yes, you're playing the role of a gatekeeper right now, but that doesn't define your career, the future of your career. The beauty of the sport is it can change in one single night. You get your hand raised against Salahdine with an impressive fight, and showcase the skill and the level that I'm prepared to showcase, that I anticipate of showcasing, we're back in the mix, we're not playing that role anymore, we're targeting someone in the top 10.â€

If Hooker does beat Parnasse at UFC Paris, he does want a top-10 opponent next. Even though Parnasse is a UFC newcomer, he does think highly of him and points to the fact that he's headlining a UFC card in his debut.

Dan Hooker enters UFC Paris with a record of 24-14 and is coming off back-to-back stoppage losses. He suffered a TKO loss to Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 325 in February and suffered a submission loss to Arman Tsarukyan before that.

Do you think Dan Hooker can pull off the upset at UFC Paris?

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Former UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev will stay active on the wrestling mats against a familiar foe.

After suffering one of the biggest upsets in UFC history earlier this year, Khamzat Chimaev is determined to make another middleweight title push after recently hinting at a move to light heavyweight. Chimaev, who lost to Sean Strickland by split decision earlier this year, called out a slew of top middleweights for his planned return to the Octagon.

Despite initially teasing a move to the light heavyweight division, Chimaev seems to have had a change of heart and eyes an eventual rematch with Strickland. Meanwhile, Strickland is widely expected to fight top middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov, potentially by year's end.

After defeating Dillon Danis in his highly anticipated Real American Freestyle wrestling debut earlier this year, Chimaev is looking to stay active on the mats. Despite long-standing beef with Colby Covington, Chimaev will face a familiar rival in his wrestling return.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns 2 added to Colby Covington-headlined card

As announced by RAF on Wednesday, Chimaev will compete against former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns in the RAF 13 co-main event on September 18th. The matchup will be contested at a catchweight.

Burns retired from the UFC earlier this year at UFC Winnipeg following a loss to Mike Malott. He last competed in submission grappling earlier this summer, defeating Horlando Monteiro at UFC BJJ 9.

Burns handed Chimaev one of the toughest tests of his UFC career at UFC 273. After their three-round war, Chimaev escaped with a unanimous decision win on the judges' scorecards.

The RAF 13 pits former UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington against former UFC titleholder Belal Muhammad in the main event. Covington and Muhammad nearly brawled at a post-match press conference earlier this year.

Who should Khamzat Chimaev fight next in his UFC return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Justin Gaethje initially had revenge on his mind, but he'd put that to the side for a clash with Conor McGregor.

Gaethje has fought just about every high-level lightweight of his era that one can think of. He's taken on the likes of Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira, Ilia Topuria, Dustin Poirier, and Eddie Alvarez to name a few. The one name who has eluded him is McGregor.

While Gaethje suffered a brutal knockout loss to Holloway and was choked out by Oliveira, “The Highlight†told CBS Sports' Damien Harris that he'd rather finally get his hands on “Mystic Mac†than get a chance at redemption (via MMAFighting).

“Damn, there's really no one,†Gaethje said. “It would have been Oliveira or Holloway, but since Topuria beat them, I'm going to go ahead and justify it to myself like I got them back.

“So I guess McGregor. Fun to shut him up.â€

Gaethje is the reigning UFC lightweight titleholder after Topuria failed to leave his stool for the fifth round of their UFC Freedom 250 clash back in June. Throughout his career, Gaethje had been chasing undisputed status. Now that he has achieved his goal, the fan favorite admits he's in unfamiliar territory.

“It's such a weird place to be in,†Gaethje said. “There's always been a champion, I've always had somebody to chase. Now, being the champion, it's like I just have to retain and hold onto what I have. I'm not looking at specific opponents, I know the best in the world are gunning for me. So that is the name of the game. I know that it's going to be one of the best guys in the world.

“Arman [Tsarukyan] was fighting Oliveira, now he's fighting someone else, so there's a couple of big fights that are going to determine who I'll fight next.â€

Tsarukyan has a fight with Mauricio Ruffy scheduled for UFC 331 on Sept. 19. If “Batman†is able to win that bout, he could find himself challenging Gaethje for the top prize at 155 pounds. If Ruffy pulls off the upset, it would make things quite interesting for the UFC matchmakers.

Do you think Justin Gaethje should ditch the idea of fighting Conor McGregor, or is there still a chance the bout could take place? Sound off in the comments below.

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