Dan Hooker is out of his UFC Austin appearance against Bobby Green on December 2. "The Hangman" has been forced out of the bout with an arm injury.
The news was first reported by the New Zealand Herald's Christopher Reive on November 21:
Hooker's injury is on the same arm he broke during his fight with Jalin Turner in July. Hooker not only fractured his wrist in the Turner fight, he also broke his orbital bone.
Hooker's five month break between fights doesn't appear to have been sufficient to fully recover from the fracture. As a result, "The Hangman" will probably choose to take a break until 2024.
Regarding his opponent, Bobby Green, the UFC will need to quickly find a replacement on relatively short notice.
Based on the UFC athlete rankings and taking into account the fighters who are already booked, there are several available names for King to potentially fight.
Although it would be a quick turnaround, #11 Benoit Saint-Denis emerged relatively unharmed from his match against Matt Frevola at UFC 295 on November 12. Considering that the Hooker vs. Green fight was billed as a "BMF eliminator," Denis appears to be a strong contender for the matchup.
Other potential names for the fight include Renato Moicano, Jalin Turner, Rafael Dos Anjos, or the possibility of a rematch with Drew Dober. Alternatively, the UFC may choose to reschedule Green for a later date or have him face an unranked contender. However, given Green's willingness to fight anytime and anywhere, it seems unlikely that the former option would be chosen.
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