Former interim light-weight champion, Justin Gaethje has opened as a betting favourite to snap the spectacular profitable run of fellow divisional contender, Dan Hooker at UFC 313 in March — with the duo formally slated to go to battle over the course of 5 rounds within the occasion’s co-headliner.
Gaethje, who stays the quantity three rank within the official light-weight pile, will make his return to the Octagon for the primary time in eleven months when he attracts Kiwi striker, Hooker at UFC 313.
Sidelined since April of final 12 months, former interim champion, Gaethje misplaced the symbolic BMF championship in dramatic trend in opposition to ex-featherweight pacesetter, Max Holloway at UFC 300, within the type of a buzzer-beating fifth spherical knockout defeat.
Justin Gaethje opens as betting favourite to beat Dan Hooker
And forward of UFC 313, followers of each the Loopy Time app and betting can presently discover Arizona native, Justin Gaethje as a formidable -155 betting favourite to defeat Dan Hooker — with the Metropolis Kickboxing mainstay boasting underdog odds presently of +130.
Obligatory Credit score: Zuffa LLC
Himself driving an attention grabbing three-fight profitable run into his potential title eliminator in opposition to Gaethje, quantity 5 ranked light-weight challenger, Hooker most just lately turned in a formidable unanimous choice win over Polish star, Mateusz Gamrot on the principle card of UFC 305 in Australia final summer season.
Previous to that, Auckland native, Hooker had edged out Jalin Turner in a call win, after returning to the light-weight division with a bang in opposition to Peruvian grappler, Claudio Puelles — delivering a formidable physique kick TKO stoppage win.
And forward of his pairing with Gaethje, Hooker has performed up his possibilities of upsetting the apple cart and the bookies as well, claiming he’s a really “dangerous” matchup for the veteran motion fighter.
“I’m a Justin Gaethje fan, and yeah, obviously appreciate him taking this fight, obviously,” Dan Hooker instructed throughout a latest interview. “Like, it’s a dangerous fight for him. I respect them for I respect them for accepting this fight. When I feel like there would have been easier fights for him out there. So credit credit to him and his team.”
“He’s got some beautiful counters, some beautiful leads and yeah, I think his skill is, is often underestimated by a lot of fans, which I feel like, as is mine,” Dan Hooker defined. “Yeah, it’s it’s more. Like, I know full well that it’s two fighters in there that are either going to win or guard on the shield; they’re going to die trying. There’s two fighters that that step in. They’re prepared to die and have accepted that and who are at peace with that. That’s why the fans are so excited for this fight and That’s why I’m excited for this flight. So it’s it’s either win or I go out swinging. That’s that’s the two ways at this end.”
Seeking to probably earn himself a long-mooted title combat with pound-for-pound kingpin, Islam Makhachev, Gaethje nabbed the interim light-weight crown again in 2020 in Florida, snapping the division-best twelve-fight profitable spree of former interim champion, Tony Ferguson with an eventual fifth spherical strikes stoppage win in a gruelling important occasion conflict.
