Dan Hooker is currently quarantining after his UFC on ESPN 12 loss to Dustin Poirier, which means he can’t get close to his family.
Hooker gave fans a snapshot of his struggle on Twitter on Tuesday, sharing a photo of himself and his daughter separated by a fence.
So close and yet so far! #familyovereverything pic.twitter.com/isfvXbZ6p5
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) June 30, 2020
“So close and yet so far! #familyovereverything,” Hooker wrote in the caption for his post.
This post from Hooker generated responses from countless fans. It also got a response from Poirier, a fellow Dad, who shared a classy message of support.
Sorry you are going through this man. Stay strong brother
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) June 30, 2020
“Sorry you are going through this man,” Poirier said. “Stay strong brother.”
Hooker and Poirier’s Saturday night war earned both men Fight of the Night honors, and is viewed by many as a frontrunner for 2020’s Fight of the Year honors. While Hooker wound up losing the fight by decision, he enjoyed many periods of success in the fight, particularly in the first two rounds.
Post fight, the Kiwi took to Twitter to address the setback. He seemed to be in good spirits, and gave his foe some props on a strong performance.
“Quick message for the people that support me,” Hooker wrote. “Credit to Poirier better man on the night, no regrets, no excuses. Minor setbacks ain’t a major for me.”
Poirier also had some nice things to say about Hooker post-fight.
“It was a tough one, man,” Poirier said of Hooker. “Dan came to fight. He’s a tough guy. He’s on the rise and really thought he was going to get passed me. He talked a lot of trash, like, he was going to move forward and fight the champ — but I’m the champ. This is what I love to do. I put all the work in. I trust in my team, skill, and work ethic. I came here, pulled another one out, and had a few more rounds in me.”
Evidently, there’s plenty of respect between these two lightweight contenders in the wake of their battle.