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UFC star Dan Hooker eyes move overseas after lockdown visa issues

Dan Hooker.

Kiwi UFC lightweight Dan Hooker says he and other City Kickboxing team-mates may have to move offshore to continue making a living.

Hooker is due to fly to Las Vegas on Sunday, ahead of his bout with Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266 on September 26, but says New Zealand’s Covid-19 lockdown means the US Embassy in Auckland hasn’t been able to approve his visa in time.

The 31-year-old, who has obtained a US working visa on multiple occasions in the past, submitted his application within the required time frame but has been told that due to delays caused by the Level 4 lockdown a visa may not be ready until next week – which is “too close” to the fight.

Hooker admits he will likely have to withdraw and points out that other City Kickboxing team-mates including Israel Adesanya have encountered issues scheduling fights due to New Zealand’s lack of MIQ vouchers.

“I can’t speak for the City Kickboxing team as a whole but for me personally it looks like we’re going to be forced offshore,” Hooker told 1News.

Hooker says remaining in NZ in the current Covid-affected climate isn’t going to be an option for much longer.

“It looks like we’re going to have to base ourselves outside of New Zealand for the foreseeable future.

“It’s at the point now where it’s impossible. It’s impossible to come and go from New Zealand.

“Regardless of lockdowns – if it opens back up and we get everything sorted, it’s impossible to travel out of New Zealand and come back.”

On Thursday, Hooker made a public plea on Twitter in a pair of messages to the US Embassy’s Kevin Covert, who is responsible for diplomatic business. The UFC have helped in the past but were unable to on this occasion.

Hooker, who hasn’t fought since January, will likely be denied income that would have gone towards supporting his young family as well as his Combat Academy gym which has been hugely affected by Covid.

Desperate to end a two-fight losing streak, Hooker and City Kickboxing team-mates were warned by police twice for breaching Level 4 lockdown restrictions by holding group training sessions.

Since then he has trained at home but will likely have to give up his spot on the fight card as well as the October MIQ voucher he booked back in May.

“It sucks,” Hooker said. “It sucks to build New Zealand MMA up to this point, to have the best gym in the world, with some of the best fighters in the world, and to then have to go to another country.

“To lose that and to be fighting out of somewhere that you don’t have a connection to – it sucks.”

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