Dan Hooker’s bouncing back, stitches and all, after a rough patch sidelined him from the octagon. The UFC lightweight vet took to social media on Monday to drop an update on his hand surgery, which knocked him out of a UFC 313 showdown with Justin Gaethje. He’d already flashed some gnarly post-op pics, but now it looks like he’s hit the sweet spot—stitches out, healing on deck. The video he posted wraps with a shot of his hand looking pretty solid, all things considered.

No word yet on when “The Hangman” will swing back into action or if the UFC’s still got Gaethje in mind for him. Gaethje, aka “The Highlight,” ended up scrapping with Rafael Fiziev on short notice at UFC 313 instead, banking a unanimous decision and a cool $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus alongside Fiziev. Meanwhile, Hooker’s got to be itching to return ASAP—he’s riding his first three-fight win streak since 2020, capped by a gritty split-decision win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in August. This dude’s not one to sit still, so expect him back swinging soon!