Report – Rafael Fiziev frontrunner to fight Justin Gaethje in UFC 313 rematch clash
According to reports this evening, lightweight contender, Rafael Fiziev is the current frontrunner to book a short-notice UFC 313 rematch with Justin Gaethje at the turn of next month — following the withdrawal of initially scheduled foe, Dan Hooker.
Gaethje, who was set to return next month at UFC 313, Arizona native saw a planned five round co-headliner with Kiwi striker, Hooker fall to the wayside this morning, with the City Kickboxing staple revealing he has suffered a fractured hand in the weeks before the high-stakes pairing.
And hoping to remain on the pay-per-view card in his first outing since suffering a symbolic BMF title fight loss in brutal fashion to Max Holloway at UFC 300, Gaethje revealed he was looking to book a short-notice clash for the same flagship card.
“(Dan) Hooker is out of the fight [at UFC 313],” Justin Gaethje posted on his Snapchat. “Waiting for a new opponent.”
Rafael Fiziev, Beneil Dariush explored as UFC 313 opponents for Justin Gaethje
And according to reports from Ariel Helwani tonight, both the previously mentioned, Fiziev, as well as veteran Kings MMA staple, Beneil Dariush are currently both in the mix to potentially fight Gaethje on short-notice at UFC 313.
With Dan Hooker’s withdrawal, the plan is to keep Justin Gaethje on the #UFC313 card,” Combat Sports Today posted. Two names mentioned to be in the mix are Rafael Fiziev and Beneil Dariush.
Previously fighting against Tiger Muay Thai ace, Fiziev in the co-headliner of UFC 286 over the course of three rounds, Gaethje began an eventual two-fight winning run with a controversial majority decision win over the former in London, England.
And of note, Gaethje previously trained alongside veteran Iran-born lightweight mainstay, Dariush ahead of his short-notice 2020 interim title fight with common-foe, Tony Ferguson, going on to record an eventual fifth round TKO win in Florida.
