Dan Hooker has been forced out of his scheduled lightweight bout with Bobby Green at UFC Austin due to injury, and the promotion is seeking a replacement opponent for Green.
The UFC’s return to Texas has been affected as an injury has forced Dan Hooker out of his scheduled five-round co-main event matchup with Bobby Green at UFC Austin. The New Zealand Herald was the first to report this development. This is the second time in 2023 that Hooker has had to withdraw from a bout due to injury, as he was previously set to face Jalin Turner at UFC 285 in March, but a broken hand forced him out. However, Hooker eventually faced Turner at July’s UFC 290 event, where he earned a split decision victory to extend his winning streak to two.
Multiple sources confirmed that the promotion is now looking for a replacement opponent for Green. UFC Austin is set to take place on Dec. 2 at Moody Center in Austin and will be aired on ESPN+. The event will be headlined by a lightweight matchup between top-tier lightweights Beneil Dariush and Arman Tsarukyan. If Green remains on the card, he’ll be aiming to extend his unbeaten streak in 2023, which includes back-to-back stoppage wins in bouts against Tony Ferguson and Grant Dawson.
Overall, the event is undergoing changes due to Hooker’s withdrawal, and fans will have to wait and see who will step in to face Green in the co-main event.