Dan Hooker has withdrawn from his highly anticipated UFC 313 fight against Justin Gaethje due to a hand injury, with Rafael Fiziev offering to step in as a replacement.
Dan Hooker has pulled out from his highly anticipated clash with Justin Gaethje. A real bummer for fight fans. The bout was set as the co-main event for UFC 313 on March 8 in Las Vegas. But, alas, Hooker announced through his daughter’s YouTube channel that he’s out due to a hand injury. Benny P, an MMA reporter, was quick on the draw, tweeting the news first.
“Dad had a fight, or was supposed to have a fight, but I’ve busted my paw,” Hooker lamented. Ouch! This is a tough one to digest for those eager to see these two striking powerhouses go at it. Gaethje’s known for snagging Fight of the Night bonuses—eight times, to be exact! Meanwhile, Hooker’s no stranger to these epic battles either.
Rafael Fiziev didn’t waste any time stepping up. He threw his hat in the ring to replace Hooker. Yet, the UFC hasn’t made anything official about Gaethje’s status for UFC 313 or if they’ll reschedule his bout with Hooker.
“Let’s run it back,” Fiziev tweeted, tagging Gaethje. They faced off in a barnburner at UFC 286 back in March 2023. Gaethje eked out a majority decision win then.
Hooker was riding high on a three-fight win streak. He had split-decision victories over Mateusz Gamrot and Jalin Turner recently. On the flip side, Gaethje last fought at UFC 300 this past April. He suffered a heartbreaking last-second knockout loss to Max Holloway in what many dubbed the 2024 Fight of the Year.
UFC 313 will roll on at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas come March 8. All eyes on Alex Pereira defending his light heavyweight crown against Magomed Ankalaev in the main event.