Dan Hooker has spoken out for the first time since rumours about his private life started circulating online.
Hooker’s most recent fight was a tough loss to Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 325 earlier this year.
That defeat, his second in a row, pushed him further away from title contention. He is now ranked outside the top five in the lightweight division, making his path to a championship shot even more challenging.
While he has been away from the Octagon, some wild accusations about ‘The Hangman’ started spreading on social media.
Dan Hooker speaks out over allegations that surfaced online
The 36-year-old was accused of infidelity by a woman claiming to be his mistress, who went public with several damaging accusations.
Hooker’s father-in-law responded with a video post, calling him a “piece of s—” and saying his daughter and grandchildren “deserve better.”
After weeks of silence following the viral allegations, ‘The Hangman’ has now released a statement to address the situation.
Speaking on Facebook, he said: “Ok, it’s been a minute.
“I’m back training, but before I go back to my team, I feel like I need to address a couple of things. Mostly out of respect for people I care about who have been going through it.
“My wife has been my rock and will always be my best friend, and the best mother to our awesome girls, my kids are my world. I’ll look after my family until the day I die… and every day after that. They mean everything to me.
“I don’t think most of this is anyone’s business. And you know what they say – you shouldn’t believe everything you see, and even less of what you hear. The blow-ups on social media caught me off guard.
“I honestly didn’t think anyone would take it seriously. But since people care, it’s pretty simple. I ended an arrangement with someone. Naturally she wasn’t happy and asked for $100k for an NDA. I said no. What happened next was wild.
“She was clearly upset and started a campaign of lies to try to embarrass me and defame me, and mostly to intentionally upset my family. I’m not making excuses for myself… But it hurts when the people who end up getting dragged into it are the ones who did nothing wrong.”
Back in training now at 36 years old, Hooker might be preparing for another comeback fight as he looks forward by focusing more on what lies ahead inside the cage rather than outside distractions from beyond its doors.
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