In one of the more heartwarming stories in current MMA, Dan Hooker has been reunited with his family after being in forced isolation for the past 56 days.
Hooker, a standout in the UFC lightweight division, was half of January’s UFC 257 co-main event. The PPV card was held in Abu Dhabi, on the much-publicized fight island. Hooker went out there knowing that a win on a PPV card that featured Conor McGregor as the main event would serve as tremendous exposure. However, he was also aware of the fact that due to New Zealand’s covid restrictions, he would be forced to isolate for an expended period of time before re-entering the country.
Hooker went on to pick up a devastating loss to Michael Chandler, as he got KO’d in the first round. Such sacrifice for so little reward must have been heartbreaking for ‘The Hangman.’ He then had to go through multiple lockdowns, before returning to New Zealand, where he had to face yet another forced period of time locked down in a hotel.
However, he has now completed his quarantine and is back with his family. A recent video posted on his Instagram showed the Kiwi reunite with his wife and daughter.
Hooker will no doubt be back in the octagon before the end of the year. But for the time being, few would deny him some much-earned family time.
