Terrance McKinney pushes "great replacement fight" for Justin Gaethje amid UFC 313 shakeup

UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney has suggested a replacement fight to book for UFC 313 after Dan Hooker, who was scheduled to lock horns with Justin Gaethje in the co-main event of the pay-per-view, had to withdraw from the bout because of a hand injury.

'The Hangman' fractured his hand during a recent sparring session. Due to this withdrawal, fans will miss out on the highly anticipated fight between the two fan favorites. Nevertheless, Gaethje has claimed he'll remain on the card as the UFC searches for a new opponent.

McKinney has an opponent in mind for Gaethje: surging Brazilian UFC featherweight Jean Silva. He wrote on X:

"Gaethje vs Jean Silva would be a great replacement fight book that one now"

Check out Terrance McKinney's post below:

Silva most recently squared off against Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Seattle and won via KO/TKO in the first round. He currently has a pro-MMA record of 15-2 and is 4-0 in the UFC with four finishes. Notably, 'Lord' has competed once at lightweight in the UFC, beating one of Gaethje's sparring partners, Drew Dober.

Justin Gaethje is waiting for a new opponent

After learning that Dan Hooker had to withdraw from the bout because of a hand injury, Justin Gaethje shared a snap insisting that he will fight at UFC 313 and is waiting for a new opponent. He shared a picture on Snapchat and captioned it with a brief message:

“Hooker is out of the fight. Waiting for a new opponent.”

Check out Justin Gaethje's reaction to Dan Hooker's withdrawal below:

Several fighters have since called out 'The Highlight', who is looking to return to winning ways following his knockout defeat to Max Holloway at UFC 300 last year. Ranked 155-pounders Mateusz Gamrot, Rafael Fiziev, and Renato Moicano have all publicly stated that they're willing to step in on short notice.