Unfortunate news in an expected banger of a fight at UFC 313 as Dan Hooker has withdrawn from his bout with Justin Gaethje due to a hand injury.
Benny P on X was the first to break the news.
Hooker did mention it himself for a second on his daughter’s YouTube channel.
“Dad had a fight, or was supposed to have a fight, but I’ve busted my paw,” he said.
Hooker (24-12) was set for a highly-anticipated and violent fight with Gaethje on the main card of UFC 313. The hand injury takes one big matchup away, but may have opened the door for another.
Rafael Fiziev, who lost a majority decision to Gaethje at UFC 286 in 2023, has been itching for another shot at the lightweight.
Let’s run it back @Justin_Gaethje https://t.co/keha1XhI5r pic.twitter.com/iYVS3JiDm7
— Rafael “Ataman” Fiziev (@RafaelFiziev) February 25, 2025
“Let’s run it back,” his post said.
For Fiziev it’s a chance at snapping a two-fight losing streak by getting a second shot at adding another big name to his resume.
For Hooker it’s an absolute setback for the lightweight who is on a 3-fight win streak. The momentum built by wins over Claudio Puelles, Jalin Turner and Mateusz Gamrot will have to hold on for at least a bit longer to pay off.
