Dan Hooker revealed that he was supposed to be on the fight card for the UFC 318 gala so that he could jump in as a replacement in a bout for the BMF belt in case of Poirier or Holloway’s indisposition.
Dan Hooker can speak of great bad luck. The New Zealander first dropped out of his fight with Justin Gaethje due to a hand injury, and when another great opportunity arose this one was also quickly lost. Hooker was supposed to be on the UFC 318 fight card however, he revealed that he needed another surgery.
Dan Hooker was given the opportunity to fight one of his rivals at a gala in New Orleans. UFC matchmakers wanted a strong standup fighter to be in reserve in case of injury to Dustin Poirier or Max Holloway.
Unfortunately, nothing from the backup role, as Hooker has to lie down on the operating table again. Dan delivered the bad news to his fans.
– The UFC organization wanted me to be a reserve in the Poirier vs Holloway fight. They wanted me to fight another lightweight at UFC 318 and jump in as a replacement for the BMF belt fight if needed. This would be an amazing opportunity for me. Unfortunately, I have to undergo a second surgery on my hand, all because the scar tissue is on too large an area. It’s not a major operation, they have to incise it, open it up and clean it out.
– I would only have nine weeks to prepare, and it really would have to be perfect for me to be fully ready to take up the gauntlet.
From the New Zealander’s statements, it can be inferred that he will return to competition after the vacations at the earliest. It is to be expected that he will get a duel with an opponent from the top ten of the ranking, and with a favorable deal maybe even someone from the top five.
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