UFC Austin: Dan Hooker forced to withdraw after injury, Bobby Green receives multiple callouts following open challenge announcement

UFC Austin, one of the most anticipated Fight Night events of the promotion, has now lost one of the most fan-friendly fights of the year. The event is headlined by a matchup between top-ranked lightweights Beneil Dariush and Armenia’s Arman Tsarukyan.

The co-main event, a five-round fight between ranked lightweights Dan Hooker and Bobby Green, is now in jeopardy due to an injury to one of the stars. However, several contenders have eagerly raised their hands to step in on short notice

Dan Hooker injury update

UFC Austin is headlined by an intriguing lightweight bout between 4th-ranked Beneil Dariush and 8th-ranked Arman Tsarukyan. However, fans were much more interested in seeing the action-packed co-main event of the 9th-ranked Dan Hooker a.k.a. The Hangman, and the 13th-ranked “King” Bobby Green. However, a hand injury to Hooker has dampened the hopes of the fans of MMA.

Dan Hooker last fought at UFC 290 against Jailin Turner where he broke his hand. Unfortunately for Hooker, it broke again at the same place. Hooker was recently interviewed by The Submission Radio where he revealed his injury. “It just broke in the same place, its kind of it is what it is”, The Hangman said of the injury.

“I took a risk. I, um, obviously came back a little quicker than… yeah, like it’s all on me, brother. I rushed to come back. I wanted to fight, and um, I knew the risk of coming back that quickly. And we rolled the dice, and we came up snake eyes.” Hooker further said of his predicament and decisions. Apparently, Hooker resumed sparring and training even before he fully recovered from the injury from UFC 290.

UFC 290 was during International Fight Week and in the main event, Dan Hooker’s City Kickboxing teammate defended his featherweight title against Yair Rodriguez. Hooker was applauded for his victory over Turner in the blood-and-guts war. Bobby Green was coming off a quick KO victory over the then-top-ranked Grant Dawson at UFC Fight Night 229.

UFC stars react to Bobby Green’s open challenge

Bobby Green and Dan Hooker are considered BMFs or OGs of the UFC. The two are notable for fighting on short notice, even against elite opponents. Both have come up short in fights against pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev before the Russian won the title at UFC 280 against Charles Oliveira.

The loss of the fight at UFC Austin is a big disappointment for MMA fans. However, many fighters have raised their hands to face Green on short notice. The list includes the likes of a former UFC lightweight champion, among others. It needs to be noted that Bobby on hearing about Hooker’s injury called out the division. “Let’s see who’s gangster like me”, Green challenged fighters on his Instagram Live.

“Barbra Green @BobbyKGreen lets run it back brother, I think it makes sense for us to finish business 😘”, tweeted Jared Gordon who recently knocked out Mark O. Madsen at UFC 295. Gordon and Green have unfinished business as there fight at UFC Fight Night 222 ended in a No Contest due to an accidental clash of heads.

Terrence McKinnet tweeted, “I’m gangsta like that too Matt Frevola 10 day notice Drew Dober 8 day notice Brandon Morotte 6 day notice”. He also tweeted, “I’m in @ufc what’s up would be a honor to throw down with king but every torch must be past down 👑”, citing the need to pass on the torch to a younger generation of fighters like himself.

One of the most surprising callouts was from Rafael Dos Anjos, the man with one of the best resumes in all of MMA. “I can make 165/170 let’s do it”, Dos Anjos is considered too big for 155lbs and too small for 170lbs. His last fight was a loss to Vicente Luque at welterweight, and he is ranked 10th in the lightweight division.

Who do you think Bobby Green should face at UFC Austin after the withdrawal of Dan Hooker? Leave your comment below!