Dr. David Abbasi predicts grim future for Dan Hooker's injured arm despite doctor's clearance for competing
Dan Hooker’s doctor has given him the clearance to resume training after receiving surgery to fix his ulna. The 33-year-old fighter broke his arm during his fight against Jalin Turner at the UFC 290 PPV event in July 2023. Hooker managed to pull off the win after three rounds of back-and-forth action. However, a head kick from Turner in the first frame possibly caused the fracture in ‘Hangman’s’ arm.
The ninth-ranked UFC lightweight received surgery a few weeks ago and the progress is on track. He posted the x-ray of his arm on his X (formerly Twitter) handle to share the good news. However, popular orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Abbasi believes that the injured arm is susceptible to another fracture. While replying to Hooker’s post, Abbasi wrote:
“Ulna plate+screw fixation usually cleared ~8 weeks after surgery so he’s on schedule. Of note-he’s MORE LIKELY to fracture again under plate in future. (Think Rob Gronkowski). Plate is stiffer then bone, creates stress riser. So sometimes we remove plate in future to prevent this”
Dan Hooker’s return to the UFC is not announced
Dan Hooker is not likely to make the octagon return until early 2024 given the serious nature of his injury. His win over Jalin Turner extended the winning streak to two after suffering losing four of his previous five fights. UFC lightweight Renato Moicano called out Hooker for a fight upon hearing the news of his recovery. However, Dan Hooker has not responded.