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Justin Gaethje will tackle Rafael Fiziev in a light-weight rematch at UFC 313, because the latter replaces the injured Dan Hooker.
For a lot of MMA followers, Gaethje vs Hooker was one of many most-anticipated fights of 2025, initially scheduled for 5 rounds within the UFC 313 co-main occasion on 8 March. Nevertheless, Hooker hinted final week that the bout had been shortened to 3 rounds, and this week he was compelled to withdraw, revealing a fractured hand.
Fiziev was one of many first lightweights to supply his providers as a alternative, together with Renato Moicano and Mateusz Gamrot, and the Azerbaijani received the nod. He’ll battle Gaethje two years after dropping a slender resolution to the American in London.
“Arman [Tsarukyan] and Charles [Oliveira] understandably mentioned no,” Gaethje claimed on X (previously Twitter). “Max [Holloway] and Dustin [Poirier] understandably mentioned no. Moicano received the decision and mentioned no.
“Props to Fiziev for volunteering to fly the world over and take this battle. Massive danger right here for me, taking this rematch towards [an] elite striker. Life’s a visit. Greatest reside present on earth taking place March eighth #UFC313.”
Poirier dismissed the declare, nonetheless, tweeting: “I by no means received the decision, I didn’t say no. I’m the one who reached out to them after I learn the information. Ask Hunter [Campbell, UFC CBO], all respect to you and [Fiziev], wanting ahead to this one once more.”
Every fighter listed by Gaethje would have an comprehensible purpose for saying ‘no’, in any case, exterior of the plain risk posed by the heavy-handed “Spotlight”.
Tsarukyan and Oliveira are anticipated to fulfill in a No 1 contender’s match this yr, whereas Holloway fought Gaethje final April, dominating the American and knocking him out within the remaining second of their five-round battle. In the meantime, Moicano fought on at some point’s discover in January, struggling a submission loss to champion Islam Makhachev.
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That mentioned, one X person requested why Tsarukyan – who was changed by Moicano in January – turned down the battle with Gaethje, to which the latter replied: “That’s an enormous weight minimize on quick discover.”
One other person wrote, “If solely fighters fought at their correct weight such as you,” to which the 36-year-old mentioned: “To be truthful it takes me 8- 12 weeks to correctly get my physique ready for the load minimize. I battle round 175[lb on fight night] like most lightweights. Laborious to know however that’s the best way it goes.”
Gaethje’s final battle was his loss to Holloway. Previous to that defeat, he knocked out Poirier with a head kick in July 2023, avenging a 2018 loss and constructing on his resolution win over Fiziev from March 2023. Since that loss to Gaethje, Fiziev has fought as soon as, struggling an damage whereas dropping to Gamrot in September 2023.
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Gaethje is a former interim UFC light-weight champion who has twice did not win undisputed gold. In 2020, he was submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov whereas making an attempt to unify the belts, and in 2022, he was submitted by Oliveira whereas combating for the vacant title.
Oliveira had been stripped of the belt at some point earlier, after failing to make weight for his deliberate defence towards Gaethje.
