Top UFC lightweight prospect Dan Hooker will no longer be competing against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313.
City Kickboxing representative has experienced many ups and downs throughout his career. However, the New Zealander always draws fans to their screens, as his fights deliver an abundance of excitement. Inside the octagon, he has secured 14 victories, with an impressive nine of them coming by stoppage.
Next weekend during UFC 313 “The Hangman” was expected to face Justin Gaethje. The bout was scheduled to be taking place on March 8th in Las Vegas. Given the brawling styles of both Hooker and “The Highlight”, fans were expecting a classic banger of a fight.
However Dan Hooker had to pull out of this contest.
The first to break the news was Australian journalist Bendman. Citing his sources, he revealed that Dan Hooker has withdrawn from UFC 313.
“Unfortunate news but Per sources Dan Hooker is out of his fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313 unknown if Justin Gaethje will get a replacement or if they will rebook it for a later card” – reported Bendman on his X profile.
Dan Hooker later has confirmed the injury on his daughter’s YouTube channel.
As for Gaethje, he’s looking for one last crack at UFC gold. While Gaethje once held interim gold, he’s never been the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.
At this moment, it remains unclear what decisions UFC and the now-opponentless Justin Gaethje will make. “The Highlight” could wait for Dan Hooker’s return, but given the severity of the injury, the New Zealander may need several months to fully recover.
Looking at the rankings, the closest available fighter without a scheduled bout is Mateusz Gamrot. The Polish fighter, #8 at lightweight rankings, is currently training at American Top Team, sharpening his skills while awaiting his next fight announcement. His last bout was a decision loss to Dan Hooker.
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