‘44 Days Down, 12 to Go’- UFC Lightweight Dan Hooker Shares Heartbreaking Image of His Daughter During Mandatory Quarantine

Published 02/23/2021, 1:32 PM EST

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker is currently in his home country of New Zealand with his family. But the UFC star has been kept in mandatory quarantine due to the rules in his country since returning from Abu Dhabi. Hooker fought Michael Chandler in the co-main event of UFC 257 in January.

The outing in the first pay-per-view of the year didn’t quite go according to Hooker’s plan as ‘The Hangman’ was stopped by strikes in the 1st round of the bout.

Chandler made a name for himself by taking out an established UFC contender in his debut, adding to Hooker’s disappointment.

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A post shared by Dan "Hangman" Hooker (@danhangman)

But it seems like the mysteries didn’t end there for the Kiwi star as he has been forced to distance himself as part of precautionary measures of Coronavirus in his country.

One can assume it’s tough for the fighter to be distanced from his family for so long. The UFC 257 pay-per-view took place in Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

Hooker expected to give Chandler a tough welcome to the UFC. But unfortunately, the script didn’t go according to plan for him.

‘Iron’ showed the world why he is a multiple-time world champion. He used all of his skills, explosiveness, and power and put Hooker away. It was a magnificent display on his part.

In hindsight, it was a completely unsuccessful outing for ‘The Hangman‘. He was visibly distraught after the fight, and there were even rumors of him retiring from the sport.

But Hooker doesn’t plan on walking away just yet. And to be fair, retirement shouldn’t even be an option for him as he has a lot to give to the sport still.

Who should Dan Hooker fight next?

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Hooker still has a lot of exciting match-ups available for him once he returns to the Octagon. A fight against Tony Ferguson could be very enticing for the fans as both fighters are coming off losses. Rafael dos Anjos is in the mix too.

Despite 2 back-to-back losses in his last 2 outings, Hooker remains one of the top lightweights on the planet and can still take on all comers.

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A win in his next outing will certainly set him up for redemption. He needs to get a win first to continue his pursuit for the UFC gold. What did you make of Dan Hooker’s recent quarantine situation? Who should he fight upon his return to the Octagon?

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Apratim Banerjee is an MMA author for EssentiallySports and has been writing professionally for almost a year. Before his current gig, Apratim worked as a UFC writer for Sportskeeda. A long-time MMA fan, Apratim has developed a critical eye for the sport that has helped him transfer his vast knowledge to his copies and give hardcore and casual readers a detailed insight into the fights and fighters.

‘44 Days Down, 12 to Go’- UFC Lightweight Dan Hooker Shares Heartbreaking Image of His Daughter During Mandatory Quarantine

Who should Dan Hooker fight next?

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