Two top UFC lightweights offer to step in for Dan Hooker against Justin Gaethje

Two top UFC lightweights have offered to step in and fight Justin Gaethje in place of Dan Hooker at UFC 313 next month.

In case you missed the news overnight, Dan Hooker will no longer be competing against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313 in March. He seems to have suffered a hand injury that will put him on the shelf for an undisclosed period of time, leaving Gaethje without an opponent.

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

For the UFC 313 card, this is a big blow. Hooker vs Gaethje was one of the main attractions behind this event and while the main event is still solid, it certainly feels as if they need to put something in as a new co-main event in order to really bolster it.

Thankfully for the promotion, both Rafael Fiziev and Mateusz Gamrot have voiced their interest in stepping in to replace Hooker in Las Vegas.

My fight with Hooker was very close and he got lucky with the judges. Time to fix it and prove it !! @Justin_Gaethje @ufc @espn @MMAJunkie

— Mateusz Gamrot (@gamer_mma) February 25, 2025

Let’s run it back @Justin_Gaethje https://t.co/keha1XhI5r pic.twitter.com/iYVS3JiDm7

— Rafael “Ataman” Fiziev (@RafaelFiziev) February 25, 2025

Gamrot and Fiziev want to replace Hooker

Gamrot: “My fight with Hooker was very close and he got lucky with the judges. Time to fix it and prove it !! @Justin_Gaethje @ufc @espn @MMAJunkie”

Fiziev: “Let’s run it back @Justin_Gaethje”

While it’s a shame not to see Dan Hooker on this card, both of these options would be fantastic. Gamrot has a point to prove after losing to Dan, whereas Fiziev wants revenge after losing to Gaethje in their first encounter.

Who do you believe should be the one to get the call to replace Dan Hooker against Justin Gaethje? Let us know your thoughts on this, BJPENN Nation!