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Chael Sonnen has expressed his thoughts on Dan Hooker pulling out of his five-rounder against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313. The former fighter-turned-analyst also speculated on the impact of the Kiwi's withdrawal and how it could influence UFC superstar Conor McGregor's comeback fight.
Hooker was set to face Gaethje in the co-main event of UFC 313 on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, but a hand injury forced him out. Gaethje is expected to remain on the card as the promotion seeks a replacement.
In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, Sonnen gave his take on Hooker's pullout. The UFC Hall of Famer expressed his astonishment that 'The Hangman' had never faced Gaethje previously, considering both fighters are fan favorites and have been among the top-ranked lightweights for quite some time now.
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'The American Gangster' said:
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''Breaking news, bad news, Dan Hooker is out of the fight with Gaethje and what an incredible fight. I mean, let that sink in for a minute, Dan Hooker is not going to be fighting Justin Gaethje. But let that sink in, because at some point... you're going to have the realization that Dan hooker never fought Justin Gaethje. How in the world did those two stay apart?'' [1:12]
Sonnen also pitched Hooker as an ideal opponent for McGregor when the Irishman eventually returns to action, especially considering Michael Chandler is now set to take on Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314. He added:
''The conspiracy theorists are having a lot of fun because who you could ever put Conor [McGregor] against? Dan Hooker versus Conor is maybe the best idea and works all day long... The announcement of Chandler versus Paddy 'The Baddy' was effectively the nail in the coffin of the career of Conor McGregor, and now all of a sudden that has changed.'' [2:37]
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below:
Dan Hooker opens up on the injury that forced him out of UFC 313
Dan Hooker was looking to extend his win streak to four when he took on Justin Gaethje at UFC 313, but he won't have the chance to do so, having sustained a hand injury.
In an interview with Sky Sports New Zealand, Hooker revealed that he injured his hand while sparring. While showing off his swollen arm, the UFC lightweight said:
''I was sparring last night, as I do, just letting some hooks go, just throwing some bombs down range, and I just caught one of the boys on the top of the dome with my knuckle. I don’t think too much of it but they sent me off to get a CT scan. Had a little CT scan and they told me my hand is fractured. It’s unfortunate that it was this close. Obviously, gutted for all the fans that I know that were excited for this fight.''
Check out Dan Hooker's comments below:
