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Dan Hooker responds to death threats he received ahead of UFC Paris: ‘Nothing they can do but shut the f*ck up’

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3 weeks ago

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Dan Hooker responds to death threats he received ahead of UFC Paris: ‘Nothing they can do but shut the f*ck up’

When the UFC came calling to ask Dan Hooker to fight in a main event in Paris against a local favorite making his debut, the veteran lightweight didn't blink and immediately said yes.

Hooker has never avoided enemy territory when it comes to his fights and he had an itchy feeling the UFC knew he was the one person ranked in the top 15 at lightweight who wouldn't turn down that opportunity. His opponent Salahdine Parnassse isn't a household name by any means but he held titles in two divisions while competing in KSW and the French fans definitely love and support him.

In fact, the fanbase in France adores Parnasse so much that as soon as the fight got announced, Hooker started getting bombarded with messages on social media including more than a few that came across as death threats. Now that might seem a little severe for a UFC fight but it really didn't bother Hooker all that much, especially knowing he'd get to keep those receipts for his post-fight celebration when he wins on Saturday.

“I like that,†Hooker told MMA Fighting. “Get your bits in before the fight. Hindsight is 20/20. Anyone can be right in retrospect. It happens to come back and shoot your shit. After the fight? Nah! Make your call. Get your Mystic Mac.â€

That said, Hooker admits that after he first spoke about the death threats coming from some French fans, he actually received more than a few messages welcoming him to the country wih enthusiasm that he accepted the matchup and the main event at UFC Paris.

“Since I did say that, I've had a lot of French fans reaching out to me and say that they're just excited for the fight and they're excited that I'm making the trip out there,†Hooker said. “I've had a lot of people just reach out and kind of apologize for the death threats and they're excited for me to come over and put on a show.

“I don't even feel like I'm walking into hostile territory. I feel like there will be a lot of people excited for the fight.â€

While death threats should always be taken seriously, Hooker isn't losing any sleep over those kinds of messages because ultimately his job comes down to one thing — beating Salahdine Parnasse at UFC Paris.

The fans who chose to write those nasty messages can yell, scream and boo him all they want once he walks out to the octagon but Hooker knows not a single one of them can actually help Parnasse in the fight.

“Whether they love me or hate me, I couldn't care less,†Hooker said. “I feed off the energy entirely. At the end of the day, there ain't nothing anybody can do about it. He could have 10 or 20,000 people in there who want to kill me.

“Ain't nothing they can do but shut the f*ck up and eat their popcorn and watch me beat their boy. That's all they've got in store.â€

Hooker also acknowledges that even though this is Parnasse's debut in the UFC, this is by far the biggest opportunity of his young career and that's going to put a lot of pressure on him.

Throughout his own UFC career, Hooker has felt the highest of highs and the lowest of lows so this kind of matchup is nothing new for him. But the same can't be said for Parnasse, who has never felt the bright lights and the intense scrutiny that comes along with headlining a major UFC card.

“He's the one out here with something to prove,†Hooker said. “I've just got to shut up this no-name kid. That's easy for me.â€

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MMA

UFC Vegas 121 ‘Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

Published

3 hours ago

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September 25, 2026

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UFC Vegas 121 ‘Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

Sherdog’s live
UFC Vegas 121 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The
event is also known as
UFC Fight Night 289.

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

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Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

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Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

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Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

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Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

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Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
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Round 3

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The Official Result

Round 1

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Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Fridley scores the round:

The Official Result

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MMA

Raoni Barcelos vows to finish Raul Rosas Jr. in UFC main event: ‘He’s never fought someone like me’

Published

7 hours ago

on

September 25, 2026

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Raoni Barcelos vows to finish Raul Rosas Jr. in UFC main event: ‘He’s never fought someone like me’

Raul Rosas Jr. has never been finished in MMA, winning six of seven fights in the UFC en route to his first UFC main event Saturday in Las Vegas, but Raoni Barcelos plans to expose him Sept. 26 at the Meta APEX.

Barcelos was already a professional MMA fighter before Rosas Jr. celebrated his eighth birthday, claiming the Shooto Brazil and RFA belts on his way to the UFC. On a five-fight winning streak now against the likes of Cody Garbrandt and Payton Talbott, the 39-year-old veteran believes he brings more to the table than Rosas Jr. has had to deal with in his career so far.

“I believe all the opponents he's faced so far, Rob Font and others, have been extremely tough athletes, without taking anything away from anyone,†Barcelos told MMA Fighting, “but I think he still hasn't faced a guy who could really complicate his game. He's never faced a guy with good wrestling; he's never faced a guy with good jiu-jitsu, someone who can disrupt his game. That someone is me, that guy who can make things difficult for him in any area he wants to take the fight. To answer your question, he's never fought someone like me. Not trying to be better than others, but it's a style that can complicate his game more.â€

Rosas Jr.'s sole UFC setback came in a decision against Christian Rodriguez in his second octagon appearance at 18 years of age, and since then he's defeated more experienced opponents, including Rob Font and Vince Morales. Barcelos expects the Mexican prospect to look for grappling and wrestling exchanges in the octagon, and that happens to be his bread and butter.

“We have a very good no-gi jiu-jitsu team. I'm not going to be uncomfortable,†Barcelos said. “If the fight goes in that direction, we have all the time; we have five rounds to get tangled up and end up working our jiu-jitsu in the best way possible. The whole team is very much on the same page about that, and we're going in there to finish this fight before 25 minutes.â€

Barcelos will have longtime friend Glover Teixeira in his corner for the first time in nearly six years, reuniting with the man responsible for pushing him to make the transition from jiu-jitsu and wrestling to MMA rings and cages in Brazil in the early 2010's. Barcelos spent three weeks training with the former UFC champion in Danbury before starting his camp in Rio de Janeiro, and said he feels “safer†with Teixeira next to his father and mentor Laerte Barcelos, as well as coaches Davi Ramos and Andre Felipe.

“Glover is a guy who inspires me a lot,†Barcelos said. “I've always told him that. He always said that age is just a number, that it's in our heads, and he proved to everyone that it's possible to make it there. Through all the work and dedication, he was able to make it. I consider Glover my godfather in MMA. He was the one who introduced me to the sport. I have a lot of respect for him. We talk a lot. Whenever I can, I talk to him, and we exchange ideas. I'm very happy to be able to have Glover back in my corner again after, I don't know, six years.â€

Barcelos was over the moon when the UFC called with an offer to be the main event for the first time under the brighter lights in Las Vegas, and it was “like a movie played in my head.†Although he seeks an emphatic finish Saturday, a potential 25 minutes of action could be an edge over a less experienced opponent.

“The UFC gets an opportunity to see my performance getting better and better,†Barcelos said. “Five rounds is nothing new for me. I've fought three or four times, if I'm not mistaken, back in my RFA days. I believe this might be something new for Raul, but that doesn't mean much either because he's 21 years old, so he's very young. I'm sure he's going to come very prepared for it.â€

Barcelos has two names in mind for a callout to “shine†even brighter next and a win Saturday could boost Barcelos up towards the top of the bantamweight class, but he knows “everything depends on my performance in the cage.â€

“Mario Bautista would be a very good fight,†Barcelos said, “especially because he's now ranked No. 4 in the division and had an excellent fight in his last bout [against Cory Sandhagen]. And there's David Martinez. I think those are two very strong names. Those are the two athletes I think I'm going to ask for up there in the cage.â€

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MMA

Usman Nurmagomedov questions Gable Steveson's lack of MMA experience

Published

21 hours ago

on

September 25, 2026

By

Usman Nurmagomedov questions Gable Steveson's lack of MMA experience
Trending:

Mike Perry speaks out after suffering injury during upset loss to Brandon Jenkins: “Health is wealthâ€
gable on Instagram

MMA star Usman Nurmagomedov has questioned Gable Steveson's lack of MMA experience after his first professional loss.

At UFC 331, Gable Steveson's unbeaten record in mixed martial arts came to an incredibly abrupt end. After a tense build-up to his clash with Sean Sharaf, Gable wound up being knocked out cold within the first few seconds of their fight getting underway.

RELATED: Jon Jones mocked by Usman Nurmagomedov after ‘boyfriend' Gable Steveson's shocking loss

Jon Jones could only watch on in the corner as Gable Steveson's entire career flashed before his eyes. Of course, getting knocked out early in your run isn't unusual in this sport, but it's particularly bad when there's so much scrutiny around you even being in the UFC in the first place.

In a recent interview, Usman Nurmagomedov weighed in on the Gable Steveson debate and his experience level.

Usman Nurmagomedov's view on Gable Steveson

“He's an Olympic champion, but not in MMA, isn't he?†Nurmagomedov told Red Corner MMA of Steveson. “He's got no amateur experience, but as we all know, you have to have amateur experience as a fighter. One hundred fights at least. You have to feel it out, that stage, the MMA stage.

“And again, the very first punch landed, he didn't feel the distance. Yes, he's a good wrestler, an Olympic-level wrestler, but he's not a fighter nor a striker. But that is mixed martial arts, right? That includes everything. I wish him well, speedy recovery and future success. This is MMA. This kind of thing happens here.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

If Gable wants to get anywhere near the top of this division, he needs to make some big changes – and fast.

What do you think the ceiling is for Steveson in the Ultimate Fighting Championship? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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