UFC star Dan Hooker suffers broken cheek bone as he shares skull X-ray after bloodbath fight against Jalin Turner
DAN HOOKER revealed the extent of his broken cheek bone suffered in his blood-soaked victory over Jalin Turner.
The New Zealander was left covered in claret as he edged past his American rival at UFC 290.
Hooker broke his arm during the bout but told UFC commentator Joe Rogan it was “just a scratch.”
The lightweight shared another X-ray on Instagram which revealed a facial fracture to his right cheek, which he dubbed “anudda scratch.”
Hooker, 33, believes he broke his arm in the opening round after defending a kick from Turner, 28.
He said on The MMA Hour: “I went back and I watched and I think it was a bit of a slow process.
“I think it was a front kick in the first round that I think might have put a little crack in it.
“If you look at it, just as round two starts, I look down at my arm because it’s not responding the way I want it to, and then in the second [round], he lands a couple more kicks and I think that breaks it.
“I definitely felt it in the second. I was like, ‘Something’s up here.’
“I couldn’t feel my right hand, and then it wasn’t until the third round, I dropped him and I tried to finish him, I was following up with punches, and it was one punch and I was like, ‘I’m going to throw my right hand anyways.’
“I threw my right and I felt it completely go out of place. My whole right arm just went dead. It’s not how I wanted to win.
“I was just controlling him on top with my right elbow and just staying on top punching him with my left hand.”
Hooker is expected to receive a medical suspension but he is already looking forward to getting on the mend.
He said: “[The broken arm is] pretty sore. But what are you going to do about it?.
“We’ll get it all fixed up and back to 100 per cent in no time.”