UFC 313 simply took an enormous hit to its principal card lineup solely barely every week earlier than the occasion is to happen.
Hand Damage Nixes Extremely-Anticipated Light-weight Scrap in UFC 313
Initially anticipated to sq. off with former UFC Interim Light-weight Champion Justin Gaethje within the co-main occasion of UFC 313, Dan Hooker has simply been compelled to withdraw from the competition attributable to injuring his hand. Showing in a video posted on his daughter’s YouTube channel, the New Zealand striker acknowledged that his bout with “The Spotlight” at UFC 313 is off after hurting his hand.
“Dad had a struggle, or was alleged to have a struggle, however I’ve busted my paw,” Hooker mentioned.
Dan Hooker Talks Postponement of UFC 313 Co-Important Occasion
Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) would later sit down with Sky Sports activities New Zealand to additional talk about the extent of his situation and what prompted it, revealing that he had injured his hand in coaching camp whereas sparring.
“One of many paws isn’t doing too properly,” he mentioned. “I used to be sparring final evening, as I do, simply letting some hooks go, simply throwing some bombs down vary, and I simply caught one of many boys on the highest of the dome with my knuckle. I don’t suppose an excessive amount of of it however they despatched me off to get a CT scan. Had somewhat CT scan and so they instructed me my hand is fractured.”
“So yeah, I clearly nonetheless would struggle, however with the medicals they squeeze your palms and (pretends to yell in ache,)” he continued. “So we’ll see the way it all performs out. We’ll see if we will kick this struggle down the highway or we’ll simply wait and see.”
Can Penultimate Bout of UFC 313 Be Salvaged?
In what was alleged to be his grand return to competitors following a late fifth-round knockout to Max Holloway at UFC 300 final 12 months, Gaethje’s (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) destiny on the cardboard stays in query. On the time of this writing, there was no official substitute introduced by the UFC. Nonetheless, a number of different high 155-lb names have already began to throw their names into the hat, together with Rafael Fiziev , Mateusz Gamrot and Renato Moicano.
Final seen within the cage over a 12 months in the past at UFC Vegas 79 in 2023, Fiziev suffered a grisly second spherical TKO to Gamrot after popping his knee on the Pole’s elbow trying to kick him. He additionally fought Gaethje earlier that 12 months at UFC 286, dropping to the American by majority resolution.
Competing final at UFC 305 this previous August, Gamrot crossed paths with Hooker in what ended up turning into the cardboard’s Combat of the Evening. Managing to bloody the New Zealander, Gamrot gave Hooker one among his hardest fights lately, finally dropping a aggressive break up resolution.
Stepping up on simply over a day’s discover at UFC 311 final month, Moicano vied for the light-weight championship in opposition to the reigning pound-for-pound finest fighter on the planet, Islam Makhachev. Filling in for an injured Arman Tsarukyan in the primary occasion, Moicano was shortly submitted by the dominant Dagestani in simply 4 minutes by D’arce choke.
