The UFC’s inaugural event in Qatar ended up being a night of proper violence. Out of 14 professional bouts, nine fights ended in a variety of finishes, which kept the audience inside the Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Arena engaged from start to finish. However, as the fighters gave every bit of their blood, sweat, and heart to put on a show for the Doha crowd, it was natural that the hospital would be their next stop.

According to an MMA Mania report, three top-of-the-line fighters went in for immediate medical checkups right after their bouts ended. On that list, one half of the headliner, Dan Hooker, Islam Makhachev’s teammate Tagir Ulanbekov, and Swedish UFC veteran Jack Hermansson reportedly went to the hospital, mostly due to precautionary CT scans.

Dan Hooker, Tagir Ulanbekov, and Jack Hermansson sent for precautionary CT scans after UFC Qatar

In the main event of the evening, Dan Hooker tried his level best to steal Arman Tsarukyan’s spot as the number one lightweight contender in the world. The Kiwi seemed to work hard for it. However, the Armenian dominated the first two rounds on the ground and on the feet, eventually submitting Hooker in the second to win the fight. While Tsarukyan called out lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, Hooker headed to the hospital for CT scans.

Then comes Islam Makhachev’s teammate, Tagir Ulanbekov, who might have suffered the biggest upset of the night. He faced Japanese veteran Kyoji Horiguchi on the main card and entered as the betting favorite, especially with Horiguchi returning to the UFC after nine years. But what unfolded was a three-round beatdown from the 35-year-old, who secured a finish over Makhachev’s teammate early in the third round to earn a bonus. Due to the damage, Ulanbekov also went for CT scans right after the bout.

Lastly, according to the MMA mania report, Jack Hermansson also had to rush to the doctor right after his fight with Myktybek Orolbai. The Swedish veteran made a drastic shift to welterweight after a lackluster middleweight run, which turned out to be a terrible decision. At UFC 317, Hermansson was knocked out cold by Gregory Rodrigues, and following that brutal knockout, he was flatlined again by Orolbai in Qatar. So, after two back-to-back knockout losses, visiting the doctor’s office was a necessary decision here. 

Based on the severity of the damage, the fighters could receive 30, 45, 60 days or even more time suspension outside the cage. However, in this case, it’s still unknown whether any fighter has actually faced a specific cancellation or not. Dealing with and recovering from fight damage is always a very hard process, but Dan Hooker was reportedly very calm, and has talked with the UFC brass in the hospital and even matchmade his next fight.   

‘The Hangman’ had a matchmaking call with Hunter Campbell    

What does a fighter do when he’s in the hospital, writhing in immense pain? Take a rest? Well, that might be an option for other fighters, but not for Dan Hooker. Even after suffering a crushing loss against Arman Tsarukyan, he’s ready to make a quick turnaround whenever the UFC brass wants him to. And while dealing with the damage in the hospital, ‘The Hangman’ revealed that he talked with UFC CBO Hunter Campbell on a phone call and asked to face Renato Moicano in his next fight.

In an interview with The Mac Life’s Oscar Willis, Hooker said, “Yeah it was all good, I went to the hospital, got a call. Hunter Campbell gave us a call. He was like picked it and up and sad face. He’s like, ‘Oh, you alright Dan? And I just go, ‘Moicano s—ks’. Let me give Moicano a hiding. So you’re fighter, let’s have a old man fight.”

Well, recently, Fighting Nerd’s Mauricio Ruffy revealed that the UFC has been actively looking to match him up against Renato Moicano, and the talks have been very serious. But with Hooker now in the mix, the promotion could definitely make that fight next year, either as a Fight Night headliner or a massive addition to their Paramount+ marquee events.

That said, do you think Dan Hooker would be out for a while because of recovering from the damage he sustained during UFC Qatar? He already has multiple hand surgeries, so it might cause an issue. But still, let us know in the comments section below when you think he’s going to make his return.