“The Visa Was the Only Thing Stopping Me”- Dan Hooker All Set to Face Nasrat Haqparast After a Last Minute Visa Approval

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker will take on Nasrat Haqparast this weekend in an intriguing lightweight clash. However, his fight was almost off, as ‘The Hangman’ was unable to get timely approval of his visa to travel to the United States. He went on social media to ask for help for the same.

Now, the Kiwi has finally been granted his visa. Hence, he is set to land in the US on Thursday, make weight on Friday and fight on Saturday. Many believe it’s still a rocky road for Hooker, but he is confident those issues won’t affect him and he will put on a show at UFC 266 against Haqparast.

Hooker appeared at the latest edition of The MMA Hour show to have a chat with Ariel Helwani. He revealed the issues he had to face and how things were finally cleared up for good.

Dan Hooker details troubles in getting the visa

As Hooker is a top name of the 155 lbs division of the UFC, it’s understandable why fans were concerned about missing out on the chance to see him fight. But, ‘The Hangman’ has confirmed he will feature on the preliminary card of this weekend’s pay-per-view.

“I’ll be there. That’s all in the clear. The visa was the only thing stopping me. Last Friday here in New Zealand, my flight was Sunday, and the consulate got in touch with me and said, ‘We’re not gonna be able to process the visa until the end of (next) week,” said Hooker. (h/t MMAFighting.com)

“I had done so much work to get to this point, so I went to social media. I went to MMA Twitter, I was on the 6:00 news here in New Zealand on a few different stations, everyone getting behind me and just bombarding the consulate. Everyone was submitting like, ‘Get Dan Hooker his visa, full applications,” he added.

Also Read: Mike Tyson and Nick Diaz Link Up on Hotboxin’ Podcast

Dan Hooker has been able to get his permission with the help of others. Hence, he will look to maximize the chance and put an end to his two-fight skid as he takes on a promising contender in Haqparast this weekend at UFC 266.