UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker is defending his amateur combat sports tournament against criticism from New Zealand boxing officials and media who have called for legal action against the event.
The Auckland native hosted a 32-man open-weight “One Minute Scraps” tournament in his backyard on May 24, 2025, featuring 60-second bouts with MMA gloves and a $50,000 prize for the winner.
“It ran smooth, not a single issue,” Hooker told The Mac Life in a recent interview, addressing the backlash. “We had one fighter hurt his arm punching someone else. And that was the most serious injury we had for the day.”
The 35-year-old, who is currently sidelined with a hand injury that forced him out of a planned bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313 in March, organized the event during his recovery period. All participants received $1,000 for competing, according to Hooker’s Instagram post.
Despite criticism, Hooker emphasized the event’s safety measures: “Of course I had judges, of course I had medics. Of course I medically checked all the boys and had that all cleared.”
He also consulted local authorities to ensure compliance with New Zealand’s Boxing and Wrestling Act of 1981, which provides guidelines for amateur MMA events.
Nevertheless, the tournament faced strong opposition from boxing officials and local media, with some calling for his arrest. Hooker dismissed these critics, saying, “Some old boxing heads watched the same Instagram videos as everyone else and they just made assumptions.”
He found irony in the media coverage, noting it only increased the event’s visibility: “We had sensationalist journalists just running with it,” he said. “I’m sitting at home in my frog PJs with my daughter saying ‘Yeah, I’m a real thug, mate.'”
Hooker plans to release complete footage of the tournament through The Mac Life, confident it will demonstrate the event’s professionalism.
“Once you watch the whole thing, I think then people will really have to eat their own words and shut up because they’ll see how cool it was,” he stated.
The concept for the tournament came after Hooker attended a similar event in Thailand. “I saw the format of 32 fighters and how to win — one-minute fights — and I thought a super heavyweight event in New Zealand would be absolutely incredible,” he explained.
Sponsored by “The Doctor,” a New Zealand gambling figure, the tournament completed 30 fights in just one hour. Highlight reels shared on social media have already garnered international attention.
Following the event’s success, Hooker has hinted at organizing additional “One Minute Scraps” tournaments, though no dates have been confirmed.
The City Kickboxing team member has built a 24-12 professional record since his UFC debut in 2014, including three consecutive victories, with his most recent win coming against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in August 2024.
