Every Dan Hooker Injury and the Gruesome Details Behind UFC Star’s Surgeries

Dan Hooker had the entire world of mixed martial arts worried just because of a ‘scratch’! The New Zealander suffered some significant injuries in his fight against Jalin Turner at UFC 290. Needless to say, the victory came at a pretty heavy price. Even after months of recovery and accepting a fight, nothing good comes up.

Hooker was meant to fight Bobby Green at UFC Austin in the co-main event in December 2023. However, that fight was called off. So, what really led to the injury that sidelined ‘The Hangman’ for over a year? Here’s everything you need to know about Dan Hooker’s injury that’s stopped him dead in his tracks from participating in his match against Green.

All about Dan Hooker’s injuries

Soon after winning the fight against Turner via a split decision, Hooker took to X to report his injuries with a plastered hand. The fighter revealed that he’s sustained a fracture in his wrist. Calling it just a “scratch” Hooker played at the seriousness of his injuries on his social media. However, it was to haunt him further still. After months of recovery and days ahead of his next fight, he had to take to Instagram again to share more details.

He was still in the hospital in the video, sitting on the bed as a medical professional analyzed his X-ray results. His hand is still very much in trouble. Not enough to drive him out of the business but enough to keep him out of action for a while. But his hurt hand goes far back even beyond his Jalin Turner fight. Hooker faced and defeated Claudio Puelles in November 2022. In February 2023, he reported a broken hand. Later in July, he went on to defeat Turner. Perhaps it was that fight that made the injury worse.

But how can we forget the bloodied-up face ‘The Hangman’ had at UFC 290? Yes! That was also an injury that Hooker sustained in the fight. In the second round, Turner sent forth a boot that caught Hooker right in the face. This cracked his orbital bone. Needless to say, the pain must have been unfathomable. It was just because of his fighting spirit he pulled through the bout and won.

Soon after the fight, the Kiwi mixed martial artist had to undergo surgery to fix his broken bones. Let’s find out all about it.

What surgery did Dan Hooker undergo?

Right after the surgery, ‘The Hangman’ shared an update with the fight fans on Instagram. He shared a picture of himself wearing a sling support for his right arm. In the caption, Hooker wrote, “Surgery done and dusted this morning. Not my first and definitely won’t be my last time under the knife haha. Can see how this isn’t everyones cup of tea but I’m built for this game. Just a scratch baby, can’t wait to scrap again.”

But what about the fracture in Hooker’s orbital bone? There are no updates on that, but the lightweight fighter probably didn’t need surgery for his face. It was because the fracture was a simple one without any noticeable sign of instability. People require surgery for orbital floor fracture only when the injury is severe and can’t heal on its own.

Now, Hooker is all set to return to the Octagon and fight Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305. But will his previous injuries prevent him from claiming a victory? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.