"Bring Mario Yamasaki back for this one" - Fans react as Dan Hooker previews how his upcoming fight against Justin Gaethje would go

Dan Hooker vs. Justin Gaethje is the major attraction for the upcoming PPV, UFC 313, headlined by Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. With both fighters boasting an impressive resume of highlight-reel knockouts, the odds of the fight going the distance are slim.

Hooker recently previewed his fight against Gaethje in an interview with ESPN Australia. 'The Hangman' confidently claimed that the fight wouldn't go the distance, and he would surely leave the fight on a stretcher irrespective of the result.

Hooker said:

"I know full well, 100%, that this fight is going to end no matter whether his arm gets raised or my arm gets raised. Then, I'm going straight on a stretcher, straight into the back of an ambulance, and I'm going to the hospital. So I've accepted, I've come to terms that that's how this night is going to end, baby. I've come to terms with that, brother, so I've embraced that. So if someone's not ready to go to the lengths that I'm willing to go to, then they're going to have a hard night."

Check out Dan Hooker's comment's below [5:54]:

ESPN and UFC re-shared the clip of Hooker's prediction on their official Instagram channel, and fight fans flocked to the comments section:

One fan commented:

"Bring Mario Yamasaki back for this one."

Mario Yamasaki is a controversial MMA referee from Brazil, often criticized for letting the fights go long. UFC CEO Dana White and many others have been extremely critical of the Brazilian. Though he has not refereed a UFC fight since 2018, he has appeared in PFL events.

Another fan chimed in:

"Dustin vs Dan didn't get a crowd so I'm thankful that this will. It's gonna be brutal."

Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker was one of the most brutal fights in UFC history. Unfortunately, it happened during the COVID-19 pandemic and fans couldn't witness it inside an arena.

Another fan wrote:

Hooker is the only fighter that im convinced would actually fight to the death.

Hooker has often proved his toughness by fighting through injuries. He broke his hand during the fight against Jalin Turner at UFC 290 and didn't budge when Claudio Puelles caught him in a leg lock at UFC 281.

Check out the comments below:

Screenshot of comments [Image Source - @ufcanz on Instagram]

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Dan Hooker reveals plans after UFC 313

Dan Hooker agonizingly came close to a title shot twice in his UFC career. Reeling off four consecutive finishes after moving to lightweight, Hooker lost to Edson Barboza via TKO. 'The Hangman' rebounded with a three-fight winning before losing to Dustin Poirier.

Presently on a three-fight winning streak, the 35-year-old Kiwi is planning to go after the title, if victorious against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313.

Hooker said [9:26 of the above interview]:

"It's pay-per-view points, so if you want pay-per-view points, you need a shiny gold belt. I don't care who's got the belt. Watch and wait. I need that money, son, so I'm coming for it."

As for Justin Gaethje, 'the Highlight' will be looking to rebound from the brutal knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300.