Dan Hooker has returned to New Zealand after UFC London to reunite with his daughter for the first time this year.
Hooker relocated to Las Vegas last September to prepare for his fight against Nasrat Haqparast. Strict Covid-19 quarantine restrictions in New Zealand made it hard for Hooker to return home after fighting, so 'The Hangman' opted to stay in the US.
A lockdown in his home country meant Hooker didn't get his visa to travel to the US until days before his fight with Haqparast. After the hassle it took to travel, he stayed in Vegas to prepare for his short-notice fight with Islam Makhachev a month after winning a decision at UFC 266.
Hooker suffered a first round stoppage loss to Arnold Allen last weekend at UFC London. Now that New Zealand have lifted most Covid-19 restrictions, Hooker was able to return home without any hassle and reunite with his daughter after several months apart.
Following Hooker's knockout loss to Michael Chandler last May, he was forced sit in a quarantine hotel for two weeks upon returning to New Zealand and could only greet his wife and daughter from two metres apart.
'The Hangman' came into his fight with Allen with a huge weight off his shoulders knowing that regardless of the result, he could return home with no problems as New Zealand eased their border regulations earlier this month.
“The positions I was in, going into fights, knowing that might happen where it might take you months to recover and knowing that it might take you four months, three months, two months in a hotel room by yourself [not able to get home] is a daunting task," he said.
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“Once I'm at home sitting on my couch with my wife, my daughter and my friends are coming over ... I can get through anything. Free, free is what it is, there's so much more freedom.
“To know I’m able to jump on plane, go see my baby, go see my wife ... I'm going to get myself into a firefight, I'm not worried about none of that. I can go out there and gun sling because I can go home after it and I don't have to worry about anything."
Hooker was hoping to return to winning ways against Allen in his first fight at 145-pounds since 2017, but he was stopped in the first round in a back and forth fight. The 32-year-old has now lost four of his last five UFC appearances.
