UFC fighter Dan Hooker anticipates a delay of a few months before his next fight due to a broken arm that required surgery, an injury he sustained during his fight against Jalin Turner.
Dan Hooker had big plans to round off 2023 with a high-profile fight. However, it seems he’ll have to wait a few more months before he can step back into the octagon.
His plans were derailed by a broken arm. This injury forced him out of the UFC Austin co-main event against Bobby Green. This fight would have been Hooker’s second outing of the year.
Hooker, also known as “The Hangman,” had a thrilling split decision victory over Jalin Turner in July at UFC 290. This win marked his first consecutive wins since 2020.
But then, disaster struck. Hooker had to undergo surgery for the arm injury he suffered in the Turner fight. The same arm he had injured before. He explained why he had to drop out of the Green fight during an appearance on The MMA Hour.
Hooker said, “It’s the exact same spot.” The surgeon told him it hadn’t healed properly. In fact, it hadn’t healed at all. By the time he realized this, it was too late. He was too close to the fight, everything was booked. He tried to protect it and not let it get hurt.
During his second-to-last sparring session, a sparring partner landed a kick on the right spot. His arm blew right through. He had to undergo the same surgery, this time with a bigger plate. They also drilled some bone marrow out of his hip and injected it into the spot that wasn’t healing.
Hooker, 33, had also dealt with a hand injury this year. This injury had postponed his fight with Turner from UFC 285. Despite these setbacks, Hooker has been one of the promotion’s most active fighters. 2023 was the first year he hasn’t fought twice since his UFC debut nine years ago.
If it were up to him, Hooker would have fought Green with a broken arm. Thankfully, his team prevented him from doing so.
“I’ll be back to training in three months,” Hooker said. This time, they’ve put him in a concrete cast. There’s no room for error. He needs to be protected from himself.
He’s playing by the book this time. No rule-breaking. He’s determined to get his arm healed. He thinks five months is a good target.
Hooker thinks the Green fight is off the table now, especially after Green was brutally knocked out by Turner. This leaves Hooker’s schedule open. He’s not in a rush to call anyone out. He expects his next matchup to come to him once the top of the division sorts itself out.
“I’m not going to talk s*** with a broken arm and call people out,” Hooker said. He expects the whole division to have changed by the time he’s back. He saw a tweet that no one in the top 15 has a fight for lightweight. So, by the time he’s back to training and action, the whole division will be booked up.
“All you have to think is who don’t anyone want to fight? And then that’s probably who I’ll end up fighting.”