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UFC 290: Dan Hooker shares X-ray of broken arm after split decision win over Jalin Turner

Callie Lawson-Freeman
Contributing writer
·2 min read
63
Dan Hooker went through the wringer in three rounds against Jalin Turner during UFC 290. He won the bout by split decision. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
Dan Hooker went through the wringer in three rounds against Jalin Turner during UFC 290. He won the bout by split decision. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

In a bloody clash with Jalin Turner, Dan Hooker notched a hard-fought victory by split decision Saturday night at UFC 290 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Early Sunday morning after the brawl, Hooker took to Twitter to share an X-ray that showed he broke his right arm during the battle.

UFC 290 offered one of the craziest cards fans of the sport have seen in a while. Featuring a one-punch knockout during the early prelims, a brutal 20-second knockout, a 38-second knockout, Robbie Lawler's retirement and a flyweight title change, Saturday was a unique occasion where Hooker's victory didn't take center stage.

For a moment, it seemed like Turner was poised for the win when he launched a destructive head kick. But somehow, Hooker came back with a flurry of hits that led him to victory. After the final horn, two judges scored the fight 29-28 in his favor, with the third official giving the same 29-28 score to Turner.

Amid the celebrations, UFC commentator Joe Rogan asked Hooker if he broke his arm during the fight.

“It’s just a scratch. We’ll have to see,” he said with a laugh.

The matchup, which was delayed for about four months due to a hand injury Hooker sustained, was his first fight since November and his 13th UFC win.

His return proved worth the wait. ESPN's cameras captured teammate Alex Volkanovski laser focused and jumping for joy while he watched the win in the locker rooms ahead of notching his own third-round TKO victory to retain the featherweight title.

Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was also visibly excited by the win. He's positioned to headline a widely watched bout with Dricus Du Plessis, who defeated former champion Robert Whittaker with a second-round TKO later Saturday night.

Du Plessis was confronted by Adesanya during a heated exchange in the Octagon on Saturday. While the two will likely put words to action at UFC 293 in September, it's unclear when Hooker will be recovered and ready to get back in the cage.