Dan Hooker feels that his next fight could be either Rafael dos Anjos or Justin Gaethje. In an interview with SCMP MMA, Hooker discussed Gaethje and a potential return bout for both.
Justin last fought at UFC 254 in the main event, against Khabib Nurmagomedov. He ended up losing the fight in the second round via a triangle choke submission from Khabib. The time read 1:34 on the clock.
Since then, Justin has been biding his time and working on his recovery. The current No.2 lightweight in the world will look to getting back to winning ways after his ‘disheartening’ loss to Khabib.
Guess who’s the highest ranking available? I’m on it. Send me the contract. https://t.co/yT3CC9wHGo
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) April 3, 2021
Talking about Justin, Hooker says, “Gaethje, I feel will sit and wait. His most recent defeat is to Khabib [Nurmagmedov]. Like a lot of people, if you give that enough time, he’ll brush that off.” The Australian fighter finds himself in a similar situation coming off the back of consecutive losses to Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler.
Gaethje’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz posted on Twitter claiming that nobody in the top 5 wants to fight Justin. Interestingly enough, Rafael Dos Anjos popped up, saying that he is the highest-ranking ‘available’ contender. This has led to further speculations.
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Who Will Justin Gaethje Fight Next?
With Justin’s manager coming out of the woodwork, it is understood that Gaethje is fully recovered and once again ready to fight. Furthermore, he will find no shortage of candidates wanting to fight him. With the likes of Dan Hooker, Rafael Dos Anjos, and potentially even Islam Makhachev itching for a shot, Justin will have a big decision to make.
Justin Gaethje punches Michael Johnson in their lightweight bout during The Ultimate Fighter Finale. ( Credits: Getty Images)
Currently No.2 in the Lightweight rankings, Justin has already proved that he can scrap with the best of them. With wins against the likes of Tony Ferguson, Donald Cerrone, and Edson Barboza, and more, Justin has already shown that he is coming for the title.
The last time around, he was ‘breathtakingly’ close when he fought Khabib. However, his disappointment could turn into his fuel as he looks to string a series of wins to fight for the title, once again.
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