"The room was spinning" - When Dan Hooker tried out a new career to ensure he wasn't "retarded" while battling severe post-fight health issues

Dan Hooker, celebrated for his iron will in the octagon, had once made an unexpected transition in his career. After a grueling fight against Edson Barboza in Dec 2018, Hooker ventured into real estate as an agent.

According to an article by Home of Fight, this decision came after the bout left him grappling with severe health challenges. The aftermath of the fight resulted in intense vertigo, blurred vision, and balance difficulties, making it difficult for Hooker to stand.

Per the article, Hooker stated:

“It would take me about a minute and a half to stand up. I’d have to sit up, sit on the edge of the bed while the room was spinning, then stand up and just not move yet because my brain was telling me something different... There isn’t a single other sport on the planet where you can test that, I wanted to push that mental dog in me myself.”

Determined to test his mental resolve outside the cage, Hooker obtained his real estate license as a personal challenge. He added:

“I went and got qualified as a real estate agent, I was just making sure that I wasn’t retarded.” [H/t: Home of Fight]

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Dan Hooker reveals injury that left him out of UFC 313

Dan Hooker has revealed that he will miss UFC 313 due to a hand injury sustained during training. The UFC lightweight, who was looking to extend his winning streak to four, told Sky Sports that a routine sparring session took an unexpected turn.

Hooker was practicing his strikes when he collided with a training partner, resulting in a fractured hand, later confirmed by CT scan:

''I was sparring last night, as I do, just letting some hooks go, just throwing some bombs down range, and I just caught one of the boys on the top of the dome with my knuckle. I don’t think too much of it but they sent me off to get a CT scan. Had a little CT scan and they told me my hand is fractured. It’s unfortunate that it was this close. Obviously, gutted for all the fans that I know that were excited for this fight.''

Check out Dan Hooker's comments below: