Dan Hooker confirms he is out of UFC 313 fight against Justin Gaethje

UFC star Dan Hooker has announced that he is out of his scheduled UFC 313 fight against Justin Gaethje.

As we know, Dan Hooker was set to return to the Octagon for an absolutely insane lightweight collision with Justin Gaethje at UFC 313. Unfortunately, that’ll no longer be happening. Following on from reports in the MMA media, the man himself posted a video that confirmed he will be out of action as a result of a hand injury.

RELATED: Dan Hooker expects to be stretchered out following UFC 313 fight against Justin Gaethje

It serves as quite the blow to a UFC 313 card that, while impressive, could’ve used this as a really enticing co-main event. The main event itself will see Alex Pereira defend his UFC light heavyweight championship against Magomed Ankalaev, although hardcore MMA fans were certainly as excited – if not more – for the prospect of Hooker vs Gaethje.

At this point, there’s been no confirmation as to whether or not Gaethje will stay on the card, but there are definitely some interested parties.

Dan Hooker is out of UFC 313.

Hand injury.

Pain. pic.twitter.com/clNumyMLNl

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) February 25, 2025

Hooker is out

“We did have a little break, we have been busy. Dad had a fight, or was supposed to have a fight, but I’ve busted me paw.”

For Hooker, in particular, this is a real shame given where he’s at in the lightweight division. He’s finally started to build some real momentum for himself and a win over Gaethje could’ve potentially seen him be in consideration for a title opportunity. As it stands, though, we’ll have to wait and see how long he will be out of action.

Do you believe we will get the chance to see Dan Hooker vs Justin Gaethje rebooked at some point down the line? Let us know your thoughts on this, BJPENN Nation!