Dan Hooker is making progress in his recovery, as shown by the removal of his stitches.
This Monday, the UFC veteran lightweight updated his fans on social media about his recent hand surgery. This surgery addressed an injury that unfortunately forced him to withdraw from his scheduled UFC 313 fight against Justin Gaethje.
Hooker had previously posted pictures of his hand after the surgery. Now, it seems his healing has advanced to the point where the stitches could be taken out. The video ends with a shot of Hooker`s hand, which appears to be healing well.
Currently, there is no set date for Hooker`s return to fighting, and it`s unclear if the UFC still plans for him to fight Gaethje. Gaethje instead fought Rafael Fiziev as a last-minute replacement at UFC 313, winning by unanimous decision. Both fighters received a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus.
Hooker is likely very motivated to return to competition as soon as he can. He is currently enjoying his first three-fight winning streak since 2020. In his most recent fight last August at UFC 305, he won a split decision against another top contender, Mateusz Gamrot.
