Legacy, money, fame, glory – there are many such reasons for a fighter to stay committed to the sport of MMA. For some, that reason is family, just like UFC lightweight Dan Hooker. ‘The Hangman’ has fought some of the most violent battles in the UFC lightweight division, but his toughest challenges often unfold far from the Octagon.

As the #6 ranked lightweight prepares for another high-stakes showdown, this time against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC Fight Night 265 in Qatar, fans are once again curious about the anchor behind his chaotic career: his wife, Isabella, and their daughter, Zoey. So, let’s start at the beginning.

 Who Is Isabella Hooker? Dan’s Wife, Yoga Instructor Career & Relationship Timeline

There’s hardly any concrete information available in the public domain about what Dan Hooker’s wife really does for a living. However, Isabella Hooker has a social media presence and by the looks of it, she appears to be a yoga instructor. Also, Dan and Isabella look inseparable, as evident in the pictures the UFC star has shared with his wife on Instagram. As far as certain sources go, Dan Hooker met his wife quite a long time ago, and decided to become a married couple in 2016.

When Dan Hooker went toe-to-toe against Islam Makhachev at UFC 267, he stepped up on short notice for Rafael dos Anjos, who pulled out due to an injury. When he had an interview with Ariel Helwani after losing the fight, Hooker revealed if Isabella had any worries about his taking the fight without a proper full camp. She didn’t seem too worried about his chances.

“She [My wife] knows me. I don’t think it was much of a shock [taking the fight on short notice]… I called her up and said, ‘I took the Islam fight’, and she’s just like, ‘Yeah, alright’,” Dan Hooker revealed on ‘The MMA Hour’. Besides, his wife Isabella, ‘The Hangman’ also has another lady in his house, his daughter.

How Many Kids Do Dan and Isabella Hooker Have? Daughter Zoey and Family Details

Just like we mentioned earlier, yes, the couple has a daughter, Zoey Hooker. She’s five years old, born in 2018, and pictures of her are there to see on Dan Hooker’s Instagram page. In fact, ‘The Hangman’ shares several snaps of candid moments he’s had with his daughter pretty frequently. Moreover, Zoey is an only child..

But the most emotional moments come from the times he couldn’t be with her. That brings us to one of the most defining chapters of his family story, the COVID-19 era.

Dan Hooker’s Emotional Family Sacrifices: COVID Separation & UFC Travel Struggles

Few fighters experienced pandemic-era sacrifices as intensely as Dan Hooker. In 2021, during the height of COVID-19 restrictions, New Zealand enforced strict return protocols. Citizens had to wait in long queues to be processed back into the country, a process that reportedly stretched into weeks and months.

Hooker found himself on the opposite side of the world, preparing for fights in Abu Dhabi, while his daughter was back home, wondering where he had gone.

In an interview with 7NEWS, Hooker explained how the distance hit him, “Last time I fought was against Dustin (Poirier), my daughter was still young enough that she didn’t even know I was gone… After I landed, my wife sent me videos of my daughter walking around the house with her arms out asking, ‘Where’s daddy?’”

Then came the line that broke him as he confessed, “That was heartbreaking. I had to tell my wife to stop sending me videos.” The emotional toll was heavy. The separation stretched close to two months, and Dan Hooker could only watch from afar as milestones passed without him.

Yet through it all, Isabella remained the backbone of the family. She didn’t just accept the situation, she encouraged him. As Hooker recounted, “My wife told me to get over… She said I should enjoy the fact that I get to travel and go and do what I love.” And as Hooker gears up for yet another defining moment at UFC Fight Night 265, it’s clear that his life outside the cage continues to shape the fighter he becomes inside it. His family has been his anchor, his fuel, and sometimes his heartbreak.