UFC 313 loses mega matchup, Ilia Topuria warned about his downfall, Joe Rogan blasted for alleged ignorance: MMA News Roundup

UFC 313, headlined by Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev, loses a huge matchup with only ten days remaining before the event. Elsewhere, Joe Rogan got called out for "belligerent ignorance" about medicines and healthcare.

Here are today's top combat sports updates, presented by Sportskeeda MMA.

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Dan Hooker out of UFC 313

Dan Hooker was set to fight Justin Gaethje in the co-main event of UFC 313 on March 8 in what fans expected to be an explosive matchup for the lightweight division. However, the potential barnburner is now off because of a hand injury sustained by Hooker.

With less than two weeks remaining before the fight, 'Hangman' revealed on his daughter Zoe's YouTube vlog that the fight is no longer happening:

"We did have a little break, we have been busy. Dad had a fight, or was supposed to have a fight but I’ve busted my paw."

There is no report yet about any potential replacement or rescheduling of the fight. The UFC has not commented or confirmed the news yet. Fighters like Renato Moicano and Rafael Fiziev have already offered to step in on short notice against Gaethje.

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Paddy Pimblett warns Ilia Topuria about career's downfall

Ilia Topuria recently relinquished his UFC featherweight title to move up to lightweight and challenge for the strap. Paddy Pimblett, who has a long-running beef with Topuria, believes that the move will not go well for him. 'Baddy' said to Round Eight Boxing:

"I can’t see him get the title shot straight away, I think he’s going to have to fight like an Arman [Tsarukyan] or Charles [Oliveira] if he wants to get a title shot... He’s a midget, lad. He’s not a lightweight. He shouldn’t be fighting at lightweight. He should’ve stuck at featherweight. And it’s going to be the downfall of his career… He’s just trying to be a carbon copy of McGregor."

Topuria's team has reportedly claimed that 'El Matador' is not interested in a fight with Tsarukyan and wants a title shot against Islam Makhachev directly.

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Doctor blasts Joe Rogan for latest take on healthcare and medication

Joe Rogan has been an ardent critic of Dr. Anthony Fauci and how he helmed the COVID-19 crisis in the United States of America during the pandemic. He has stated time and again that one of the main reasons he currently supports Donald Trump and the Republican Party is because of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his stance on food quality and healthcare.

During a recent episode of his podcast (#2277) where Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson was the guest, the two criticized Fauci for the usage of AZT (Azidothymidine) to treat HIV AIDS patients. Harrelson called the drug "highly toxic" and "ineffective", and that it caused the death of his friends and acquaintances.

Responding to a clip of the conversation on X, an individual tweeted at the UFC commentator:

"I worked on an inpatient AIDS unit in 1994. AZT was all we had. It kept a lot of people alive for a lot longer than they would otherwise have had. Joe Rogan and Woody Harrelson exhibit a willful, belligerent ignorance I find hard to comprehend. It's like they love being stupid. And wrong."