UFC: Dan Hooker set for two surgeries after beating Jalin Turner with broken orbital bone and arm

Kiwi UFC star Dan Hooker has some time up his sleeve to savour his courageous victory over Jalin Turner at UFC 290, with the lightweight contender needing two surgeries.

A bloodied Hooker, 33, claimed a split decision victory despite not being able to feel his arm for the majority of the three round fight on Sunday (NZ time).

But the City Kickboxing fighter has now revealed he also suffered a facial fracture to the right side of his face that will, along with his right arm, need surgery.

Hooker, who has remained in Las Vegas, has told the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani that he will have surgery on the “pretty sore” right forearm this week and he’s also seen a surgeon about his fracture to the orbital bone due to an operation being required. Orbital bones protect the eyes.

After watching the fight back, Hooker believes his arm may have cracked slightly from a Turner front kick in the opening round and then it became worse near the beginning of the second.

“Just as round two starts, I look down at my arm because it’s not responding the way I want it to,” he told the MMA hour.

Hooker dropped Turner in the third round and went to finish him by throwing his right hand only to feel it “completely go out of place.

“Then, my whole right arm went completely dead,” Hooker said.

Barely able to throw his right hand in the second and third rounds of the fight, Hooker wasn’t just missing his biggest attacking weapon.

Because he had no feeling and little to no strength, Hooker was unable to raise his right arm in front of his head and body to protect himself from Turner’s blows.

Hooker took a heavy kick, direct to the head, in the second round because of that fact, and it’s believed to be when he suffered the facial fracture.

Hooker, who was ranked 12th before his fight with Turner (who was 11th), has now moved up to No. 10 in the UFC’s lightweight rankings.Turner has fallen back to 12th.