UFC Report: Fan-favorite Dan Hooker vs. Justin Gaethje fight in jeopardy after shocking news ahead of UFC 313

UFC superstar Justin Gaethje left with no opponent ahead of UFC 313 as his opponent Dan Hooker pulled out of the fight.

UFC Report: Fan-favorite Dan Hooker vs. Justin Gaethje fight in jeopardy after shocking news ahead of UFC 313

The much anticipated Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker fight won't take place at UFC 313 (via Imago/X)

The UFC 313 co-main event between Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker was one of the most highly anticipated fights in recent months. With both fighters known for their all-action style, fans were expecting a violent war inside the Octagon. However, new reports suggest that this fight may no longer be possible—at least for now.

With only a few weeks to the fight, both Gaethje and Hooker made various promises to their fans. But unfortunately, MMA insider Benny P has declared that the fight is officially off. While there has been no official announcement, Benny P is quite a dependable source in the MMA community. 

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

Benny P via X 

In the past, he was the first one to update fans about Khamzat Chimaev pulling out of his fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, for now, fans also got confirmation from Hooker, who shared a post on social media. According to the ‘Hangman’, everything was going smoothly, but a hand injury forced him to pull out. 

FS Video

Hooker is currently on a three-fight win streak and a win against Gaethje would have boosted his title contention. On the other hand, the ‘Highlight’ needs a new opponent so that he can bounce back from his last loss. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see the UFC top brass bringing out a worthy replacement for the UFC 313 co-main event.

UFC veteran predicts the main event of UFC 313

Apart from the much anticipated co-main event which is currently in jeopardy, the UFC 313 main event is star-studded. UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will return to the octagon in order to defend his title against top contender Magomed Ankalaev. Ahead of the fight, many fans and experts are intrigued about the Brazilian’s wrestling against the Russian. 

UFC veteran predicts UFC 313 main event
UFC veteran predicts UFC 313 main event (via X)

However, the champ is unbothered and has promised to maintain this dominance. Ahead of the fight, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen recently assessed the bout. In his YouTube video, the Hall of Famer shared an interesting prediction about Pereira’s future in the light heavyweight division. 

If Pereira wins, he’s going to be looking for something else to do, and if Pereira loses he’s gone. So no matter what happens after Ankalaev, things are going to be very different for Pereira. I predict he’s moving up, and the ticking time bomb of Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall carrying this on and dragging this out, that time bomb reaches midnight as soon as Pereira is done with his piece of business with Ankalaev

Chael Sonnen via his YouTube channel 
YouTube video

Pereira has already talked about his intentions to move up and challenge Jon Jones for his heavyweight championship. With Tom Aspinall being the interim champion, he is the deserving candidate for the title shot. However, it won’t be hard for Dana White to find the best way to deal with this situation.