Justin Gaethje has been trying to claw his way back to the UFC once again. The decorated UFC lightweight fighter last appeared at UFC 300. Facing off against Max Holloway for the ‘BMF’ belt, Gaethje had a thundering shot to his chin that knocked him out cold. Reeling from the impact, Gaethje took a temporary break and hai now raring to go. Unfortunately, while he was slated to fight Dan Hooker initially at UFC 313, the bout was canceled.
Trying to find an alternative opponent, Gaethje reportedly had to struggle a lot. In a recent statement from the former ‘BMF’ champion, Gaethje had approached some of the top lightweight names as his potential opponent. Sadly, all of them turned him down.
“Arman and Charles understandably said no. Max and Dustin understandably said no. Moicano got the call and said no,” said Gaethje.
Justin Gaethje reveals that Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira, Renato Moicano, Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway all turned down a fight against him on short notice at #UFC313
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 27, 2025
"Arman and Charles understandably said no. Max and Dustin understandably said no. Moicano got the call… pic.twitter.com/2UTfH0CkXd
Thankfully, Justin Gaethje did eventually find his match in Rafael Fiziev. And the two are currently expected to be the co-main event of UFC 313. Meanwhile, amidst raging controversies, Dan Hooker has finally broken his silence on his recent injury.
Dan Hooker Details His Decision To Pull Out Of Justin Gaethje Fight
The match between Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker was supposed to be a banger of a fight. While the fans were extremely hyped up for the same, Hooker’s injury came as a spoilsport. After receiving significant backlashes, Hooker has finally broken his silence.
“I was sparring last night, just as I do, just letting some hooks go, just throwing some bombs down range, and I just caught one of the boys on the top of the dome with my knuckle. I don’t think too much of it, but they sent me off to get a CT scan. Had a little CT scan, and they told me my hand is fractured,” said Hooker.
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Dan Hooker opens up on hand injury that forced him out of #UFC313 https://t.co/6xaIhkh3Xo
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 26, 2025
Surely, things have been rough for Dan Hooker. However, while Hooker will try to make a swift recovery, Justin Gaethje will look to get back to winning ways soon.
Also Read: Renato Moicano Calls Out Justin Gaethje Just Two Weeks After Dan Hooker’s Withdrawal
