Robert Whittaker reveals why he's relieved Dan Hooker withdrew from Justin Gaethje fight at UFC 313: "I am happy ultimately"
A highly anticipated lightweight bout between Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker fell apart after the latter withdrew due to a hand injury, leaving fans disappointed. However, UFC middleweight Robert Whittaker revealed that he is content the fight didn’t come to fruition.
Gaethje was set to make his comeback against Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 313 after suffering a brutal last-second knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300. This was arguably the most anticipated lightweight fight of the year, as both fighters are known for their destructive striking.
Speaking on the MMArcade Podcast, Robert Whittaker was asked about Hooker’s withdrawal from the Gaethje fight. The former middleweight champion expressed relief that the fight didn’t happen, emphasizing that both are among his favorite fighters.
Highlighting their destructive skill sets, Whittaker claimed that one of them could have been seriously hurt and admitted he was glad it didn’t happen, stating:
“I have such mixed feelings. With Hooker out, I am happy ultimately, though, because let's face it—Gaethje vs. Hooker, one of those two dudes was going to die. And I'm a big fan of both guys, right? But one of them wasn’t leaving the octagon. Neither of them were. It would have been amazing, like the best fight of the year, easily. But I'm a big fan of Hooker, and I'm a big fan of Gaethje, and I didn’t want to see one of my favorite dudes die.”
Check out Robert Whittaker’s comments from the 13:00 mark on this link.
Meanwhile, Whittaker has been out of action since his devastating first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308.
Robert Whittaker expresses desire to fight Sean Strickland
Robert Whittaker is on the hunt for his next opponent. Speaking on Anthony Smith’s podcast, 'The Reaper' claimed that a fight with Sean Strickland makes sense at this stage of his career.
Whittaker pointed out that both he and ‘Tarzan’ have been at the top for a long time but have never crossed paths, making it an exciting potential matchup. He stated:
"I think Strickland makes a good argument to have. Because, I feel like we've both been in that top sort of pond for a while circling each other. I feel like for whatever reason we haven't been matched up but we've both been in proximity for a while and it's most likely the fight to make. I'm excited about that fight. I look at his style and I find it curious. I find it exciting to try to work out. He's a tough dude but I'm really I'm really proud of my skill set and confident in my skill set.''
Check out Robert Whittaker’s comments below (1:05:55):