While Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight title at UFC 313 is as exciting as a bout can get, the original co-headliner would have been the people’s main event. Fans were foaming at the thought of watching two extremely violent men meet in the center of the Octagon before Dan Hooker announced he wasn’t fighting because of a “busted paw” he sustained in training.

Of course, Gaethje isn’t without an opponent and has been matched up with an exciting replacement. It just won’t be the same as if Justin Gaethje fought Dan Hooker. So what exactly is the reason ‘The Hangman’ pulled out of the UFC 313 co-main event? Let’s find out.

Reason behind Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker fight cancellation

“I know full well, 100 percent, that no matter whether his arm gets raised, my arm gets raised, I’m going straight on a stretcher,” Dan Hooker told ESPN with a smile on his face. And the preparations were underway for an uber-violent showdown in the Octagon. But the Kiwi fighter might have jinxed his arm with that statement because, ironically, it was his arm that got injured in training.

The fighter broke the news in his daughter, Zoe’s vlog, where he stated, “We took a little break—we’ve been busy. Dad was gearing up for a fight, but I’ve gone and busted my paw.” Imagine the heartbreak of fans at having to read that. At least Gaethje didn’t back out from the fight. Moreover, Fiziev is a tough-as-nails opponent, with an exciting fan-friendly style, so the fight against ‘The Highlight’ is going to be exciting nonetheless.

And what about Hooker? What’s his condition like? Let’s find out.

Dan Hooker’s brutal hand injury and surgery update

Dan Hooker isn’t afraid to get in there and scrap. The man knows how to throw hands, but does he hit too hard? And does him hitting too hard result in repeated injuries? We’re saying repeated injuries because back in 2023 when the fighter was slated to face Jalin Turner—he pulled out of his fight due to a hand injury. But he did face Turner at UFC 290, securing a hard-fought split-decision victory.

But the victory came at the cost of his hand breaking. So the injury that pulled him out of the UFC 313 bout against Justin Gaethje is probably a lingering or recurring injury for the Kiwi fighter. But how is he currently? Has he gotten surgery?

Well, fairly recently on Monday, Hooker returned to social media, posting an Instagram photo from a hospital bed showcasing his surgically repaired hand. The photos that he shared on his Instagram handle were gruesome and it’s just palpable that the fighter pulled out of the fight as if he would have fought then things would have turned drastic for him.

With no news of his return within the foresight, when do you think the fighter will make a comeback to the Octagon? State your thoughts in the comments below.