Dan Hooker’s highly anticipated fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313 is officially off after the New Zealander suffered a broken hand during training. The two were set to clash in the co-main event on March 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and the bout was shaping up to be an all-out war between two of the most exciting fighters in the lightweight division.
Unfortunately for Hooker, an injury means he’ll be watching from the sidelines instead. With just weeks to go before fight night, the UFC is now scrambling to find a replacement for Gaethje. Several fighters, including Rafael Fiziev and Renato Moicano, have thrown their names in the mix, but nothing is official yet.
While most of the MMA community has expressed sympathy for Hooker, one fighter couldn’t resist taking a shot—Arman Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan Fires Back: ‘Big Mouth, Glass Hands’
Tsarukyan wasted no time mocking Hooker’s injury. Earlier this year, Tsarukyan had to withdraw from his UFC 311 title fight against Islam Makhachev due to a back injury suffered during his weight cut. At the time, Hooker was quick to question the legitimacy of the injury and even took jabs at Tsarukyan’s background.
Now that Hooker is the one pulling out of a major fight, Tsarukyan didn’t miss the opportunity to fire back. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote:
It’s clear that Tsarukyan hasn’t forgotten Hooker’s previous criticism, and he’s making sure to return the favor.
With Hooker out, the UFC is now focusing on finding a new opponent for Gaethje rather than rescheduling the fight. Meanwhile, Tsarukyan remains in limbo after his own withdrawal from UFC 311. His title shot hopes took a hit, and now he finds himself waiting for his next opportunity.
As for Gaethje, the question remains—who will step up to face him at UFC 313? Should the UFC book a new opponent or push the fight to a later date? Let us know who you think should get the call!
