Hooker out of UFC 313 fight vs. Gaethje due to injury
Dan Hooker has withdrawn from the UFC 313 co-main event against Justin Gaethje due to a hand injury, he announced Tuesday.
The highly anticipated lightweight bout was scheduled to take place March 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
"Sparring last night, as I do, just letting some hooks go, just throwing some bombs down range, and just caught one of the boys on the top of the dome with my knuckle," Hooker told Sky Sport NZ. "I didn't think too much of it, but they sent me off to get a CT scan. ... They told me my hand was fractured."
The UFC hasn't yet said whether Gaethje will remain on the card. However, several lightweight contenders have offered to step in on less than two weeks' notice, including Renato Moicano, Rafael Fiziev, and Mateusz Gamrot.
Hooker, the No. 6-ranked lightweight, was seeking his fourth straight win after pulling off an upset against Gamrot at UFC 305 last August. The 35-year-old New Zealander hasn't lost since March 2022.
Gaethje was looking to rebound from a last-second knockout loss to former featherweight champion Max Holloway at UFC 300 last April. The former interim champ is 2-2 in his last four Octagon appearances dating back to 2022. Gaethje, 36, is ranked No. 3 in the division.
Gaethje and Hooker have combined for 11 Fight of the Night bonuses in the UFC.
A light heavyweight title bout between champion Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev is scheduled to headline UFC 313.