BOUTSCOUT
Matchup deep-dive

Dan Hooker vs.
Ross Pearson

Two full careers, measured against each man's own division and against each other — the tape, the read, and every number behind them.

14-10-0 Dan Hooker · UFC
12-13-0 (1 NC) Ross Pearson · UFC
Tale of the tape

The men, measured.

Frame, age, layoff and recent form — green marks the edge on each line.

14-10-0
UFC record
12-13-0 (1 NC)
Lightweight
Division (benchmark)
Lightweight
36.5
AgeΔ 5.4 yrs
41.9
6'0"
HeightΔ 4"
5'8"
75"
ReachΔ 6"
69"
Switch
Stance
Orthodox
6.1
Layoff (months)Δ 82.1 mo
88.2
LLWWW
Last 5 (newest first)
LLWLL
The read

What the numbers say.

Scouting notes, auto-generated — only stats deviating more than 25% from the division median make this list. No narratives, just deviations.

Dan Hooker carries real power — 0.56 knockdowns per 15 minutes, vs a 0.25 Lightweight norm.
Dan Hooker rarely shoots — 0.68 takedowns per 15 minutes, vs a 1.38 Lightweight norm.
Ross Pearson rarely shoots — 0.74 takedowns per 15 minutes, vs a 1.38 Lightweight norm.
Level of competition

Who did they actually beat?

Full-career records re-graded by the tier of opposition — the same grading the Contender Series pick model uses. Records built on tier-4 competition are worth less than records built on killers.

Dan Hooker

Competition tierWL
Tier 1 — UFC / DWCS / PFL / Bellator / ONE / Rizin 1410
Tier 3 — regional circuit 104

Tier-weighted record quality: 0.88 · 14 tier-1/2 wins · 18 finish wins over 38 documented bouts

In the UFC: 11-7 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +3.8 wins over .500

Ross Pearson

Full career not yet synced for Ross Pearson — tier grading appears once their record documentation lands (refreshes weekly).

In the UFC: 6-9 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +1.7 wins over .500

Striking

The stand-up battle.

Career totals; norms are the medians of each man's own division.

Significant strikes — landed & absorbed

11714.82/min · norm 3.42
Sig. strikes landed
11143.68/min · norm 3.42
12014.94/min · norm 3.37
Sig. strikes absorbed
12384.09/min · norm 3.37
48.7%norm 43.5%
Striking accuracy
40.3%norm 43.5%
49.1%norm 56.3%
Striking defense
62.2%norm 56.3%
90.56/15 · norm 0.25
Knockdowns
60.30/15 · norm 0.25

Where the fight happens (share of sig. strike attempts)

Dan Hooker

Distance 88.9% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 6.9% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 4.2% (norm 8.0%)

Ross Pearson

Distance 89.3% (norm 82.8%) · Clinch 8.9% (norm 7.6%) · Ground 1.8% (norm 8.0%)

What they throw (share of sig. strike attempts by target)

Dan Hooker

Head 74.2% (norm 78.2%) · Body 13.4% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 12.4% (norm 7.9%)

Ross Pearson

Head 73.2% (norm 78.2%) · Body 17.5% (norm 12.8%) · Legs 9.3% (norm 7.9%)

Zone accuracy matrix Landed / attempted by zone

Green ≥ division median, red below. UFCStats tracks position and target as separate splits.

Zone Hooker L/AAccLightweight med Pearson L/AAccLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 988 / 2137 46.2% 37.9% 915 / 2470 37.0% 37.9%
In the clinch 100 / 167 59.9% 67.3% 172 / 245 70.2% 67.3%
On the ground 83 / 101 82.2% 69.1% 27 / 51 52.9% 69.1%
BY TARGET
To the head 729 / 1784 40.9% 35.0% 588 / 2025 29.0% 35.0%
To the body 214 / 323 66.3% 69.1% 314 / 485 64.7% 69.1%
To the legs 228 / 298 76.5% 81.9% 212 / 256 82.8% 81.9%

Zones with fewer than 25 attempts are marked "too few to rate". Each fighter is measured against the median of leaderboard-eligible fighters in his own division (Lightweight: 201 fighters · Lightweight: 201 fighters).

What lands on them Opponents' accuracy against each man

Green ≤ division median — harder to hit than the typical man in his division.

Zone vs Hooker L/AOpp accLightweight med vs Pearson L/AOpp accLightweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 942 / 2005 47.0% 38.9% 977 / 2884 33.9% 38.9%
In the clinch 108 / 162 66.7% 68.6% 203 / 307 66.1% 68.6%
On the ground 151 / 193 78.2% 68.0% 58 / 84 69.0% 68.0%
BY TARGET
To the head 863 / 1902 45.4% 35.1% 789 / 2642 29.9% 35.1%
To the body 209 / 285 73.3% 68.1% 245 / 365 67.1% 68.1%
To the legs 129 / 173 74.6% 81.5% 204 / 268 76.1% 81.5%
Grappling

The ground war.

Takedowns, control and submissions — career totals with each man's per-minute rates against his division norm.

1133.3% acc · 0.68/15 · norm 1.38
Takedowns landed
1535.7% acc · 0.74/15 · norm 1.38
8177.1% def · norm 64.0%
Takedowns stopped
6475.3% def · norm 64.0%
42:4017.5% of cage time · norm 19.5%
Control time
21:047.0% of cage time · norm 19.5%
36:082:13 per 15 · norm 2:46
Time under control
43:042:08 per 15 · norm 2:46
90.56/15 · norm 0.49
Submission attempts
00.00/15 · norm 0.49

Bars compare the two men's rates (per-minute / per-15 figures), not raw totals — Pearson has more cage time on record.

Next move

Let the engine settle it.