Dan Hooker Expects A War With Justin Gaethje – ‘The UFC Wants To See Someone Die’

Dan Hooker is looking forward to facing Justin Gaethje at UFC 313.
The pair are set to fight in the co-main event of the Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev card. The two fighters are in contrasting form. Hooker enters the fight with a three-fight win streak. His last fight was a win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 via a split decision. He has turned his form around dramatically, having lost two on the spin before the win streak. Gaethje suffered the toughest loss of his career in his last fight.
Max Holloway knocked him out with a second left to go at UFC 300. The defeat also meant that he lost his BMF Title. Justin took a lot of time out to decide what his next move would be. He has been linked with a fight against the UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev. The latter has expressed his desire to take that fight since Justin is a big name in the division.
“Well, I like this idea because I haven’t fought Justin yet, and if you look at the others on the list, Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan, I’ve already fought them. Preparing for the same opponent is not such a big motivation. If Gaethje shows himself well in the next fight, we can meet,” Makhachev stated
Hooker Vs. Gaethje
But he cannot overlook Hooker, who is ready to come out victorious.
“I just think the UFC wants to see someone die. Haha, like, I think they just want to finish it. They want this fight for the fans as well, they want to see someone go down, they want to see blood. They want to see rounds four and five.
“I’m happy to oblige, with more money… If I stayed longer back in the kitchen or factory and stayed a couple of extra hours, I expect a few extra dollars in my back pocket brother. I’m not here for fun, I’m not here because I like you guys! It’s prizefighting, brother,” Hooker said
Hooker has a lot riding on this. Before this fight was announced, he was linked with a bout against Conor McGregor. The latter confirmed that he would be fighting Hooker on February 1. However, the UFC did not make an announcement. McGregor was also found liable in a civil sexual lawsuit, as he was ordered to pay Nikita Hand damages and her legal fees. The McGregor fight would have earned him more money. However, a win over Justin would be seen as a better win since McGregor has not fought since his 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier. A win over Gaethje still leaves the door open for a McGregor fight.
Full Card
Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev – 205 lbs.
Justin Gaethje vs. Dan Hooker – 155 lbs.
Amanda Lemos vs. Iasmin Lucindo – 115 lbs.
Brunno Ferreira vs. Armen Petrosyan – 185 lbs.
Djorden Santos vs. Ozzy Diaz – 185 lbs.
Alex Morono vs. Carlos Leal – 170 lbs.
Mairon Santos vs. Francis Marshall – 145 lbs.
Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van – 125 lbs.
Chris Gutierrez vs. Jean Matsumoto – 135 lbs.
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