Justin Gaethje Will Face Rafael Fiziev- Dana White Announces New UFC 313 Co-Main Event

Big changes are coming to UFC 313 with Dan Hooker out due to injury. Despite multiple fighters wanting to run with Gaethje on short notice, the UFC has picked  Rafael Fiziev for a rematch, to co-main event on March 8.

UFC boss Dana White made the announcement during an Instagram Live session, confirming that Fiziev would replace Hooker. The Kiwi fighter had earlier shared the unfortunate news in a YouTube video, leaving the UFC scrambling to keep Gaethje on the card.

Fiziev wasted no time throwing his name into the mix, joining other lightweight contenders like Renato Moicano and Mateusz Gamrot in offering to step up.

Ultimately, the UFC went with him, but there’s one big change: the fight will now be three rounds instead of the originally planned five-round co-main event.

 Gaethje and Fiziev already have already gone to war back in March 2023. Their first fight was an all-out slugfest, earning Fight of the Night honors, with Gaethje taking the win via majority decision.

Since then, Gaethje has had a rollercoaster ride. He knocked out Dustin Poirier to claim the BMF title in July 2023 but lost it to Max Holloway in a wild fight at UFC 300.

On the other hand, Fiziev has only fought once since his battle with Mateusz Gaethje. His last appearance ended in disappointment when he suffered a knee injury against Gamrot in September 2023. Now fully recovered, he’s jumping back into action, hoping to even the score against ‘The Highlight.’

Gaethje is currently ranked No. 3 in the UFC lightweight division, while Fiziev sits at No. 11. With both fighters known for their striking and aggression,  another high-paced, action-packed battle can be expected when these two collide again in Las Vegas.

Gatehje vs Fiziev 2 wasn’t the only marquee announcement made on the night. The UFC bossman also confirmed the return of Khalil Rountree and Jamahal Hill at UFC Kansas City on April 26.

The pair were previously scheduled to fight at UFC 303, but the fight had to be called off after Rountree was suspended after testing positive for banned substances. Hill is making a return to the octagon after a debilitating loss to Jiri Prochazka at UFC 311. Meanwhile, Rountree last fought at UFC 307 for the light heavyweight title against Alex Pereira in a lost cause.

But as exciting as this match up is, the biggest fight that White announced tonight was between the controversial Bryce Micthell and Jean Silva.

UFC 314: Mitchell returns to octagon after Hitler remarks

Rising featherweight star Silva is finally getting his wish, he’s set to take on the controversial Mitchell at UFC 314 on April 12 in Miami. Just days ago, Silva had publicly called out Mitchell following his knockout win against Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Seattle.

The timing of this fight couldn’t be more dramatic. Earlier this month, Mitchell had stirred up major controversy with comments on a podcast where he defended Adolf Hitler and practically denied the Holocaust.

His remarks sparked widespread backlash, including a strong response from White, who called them ‘the worst’ thing he’s ever heard from a fighter.

While White condemned Mitchell’s statements, he reiterated White’s stance on free speech in the UFC. But he also made it known that for those who disliked Mitchell, they’ll now have the chance to watch him “hopefully get his ass whooped on global television.”

The two are already at a war of words, with Mitchell warning Silva about “country a**-whooping“. Mitchell, on the other hand has promised to beat him till he sees that the earth is round.

That task now falls to Silva, who will look to keep his knockout streak alive against the outspoken Arkansas native.

The fight is part of a stacked UFC 314 card, headlined by Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes for the featherweight title after Ilia Topuria vacated the belt to move up to lightweight.