Losing a fighter from the UFC 313 main event was already a gut punch, but the chaos didn’t stop there. Just as fans were gearing up for another intense battle, an unexpected twist occurred. While Justin Gaethje remained focused and prepared for a new challenger, his original rival, Dan Hooker, found himself in a different kind of scrap—one that had nothing to do with fists and everything to do with words. His feud with highly ranked lightweight fighter Arman Tsarukyan escalated into a personal confrontation, taking an unexpected turn.

So, Dan Hooker might be out of UFC 313, but he’s still throwing punches—just not in the cage. As Arman Tsarukyan continues their feud, Hooker delivered a scathing remark about Nina Marie Danielle. All UFC fanatics remember when Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from UFC 311 because of intense back pain just days out from the PPV, forcing his fight against Islam Makhachev to be canceled. But here’s where things get spicy. A week ago, Arman participated in some training sessions with popular MMA personality Nina Marie Danielle in her vlog: Nine Drama Vlogs. The video showed Tsarukyan engaging in excessive physical activity, including crazy head rolls.

Back to the present, Arman Tsarukyan playfully blamed Nina Marie Danielle for his UFC problems and back injury. “This is because of you. I hurt my back because of you,” he said while playfully holding her neck as she protested, “I didn’t mean to.” Initially, it was just playful talk among fans; however, Dan Hooker’s brutal jabs just transformed the entire situation into a terrifying experience for Arman and Nina.

Hooker didn’t just let it slide. As he hit X and fired off a brutal shot at Arman and Nina’s fun banter: “I broke my hand preparing for a fight; you hurt your back creeping on @ninamdrama.” But Dan Hangman didn’t just stop there; he even shared an X post from Pedro Yan where he talked about Arman trying to impress Nina just four days before his fight doing the head rolls. Nevertheless, Hooker drew a line of difference between his injury and Arman’s act, saying, “We are not the same.” The timing? Ruthless. The delivery? Even worse for Arman. But what pushed The Hangman over the edge?

Well, it’s like getting a taste of your own medicine. On Submission Radio, Dan Hooker took a shot at Tsarukyan, referencing Dana White’s UFC 311 post-fight press conference. White made it clear that Arman still had work to do before earning a title shot, and Hooker twisted the knife, saying, “Daddy can’t buy you a backbone, can he?” That’s just beyond anyone’s imagination. And compared to the chaos that guys like Conor McGregor or Colby Covington stir up, Hooker’s jab felt mild—but a personal dig is a personal dig, no matter how subtle.

And it turns out, karma didn’t waste time coming back around. Hooker, now sidelined from UFC 313 with a broken hand, had to pull out of his co-main event against Justin Gaethje. Arman saw his opening and fired right back, flipping the script on The Hangman. “Karma doesn’t miss. Big mouth, glass hands—maybe just stick to talking instead of fighting,” he posted on X, making sure Hooker felt the sting of his own words. Oh boy, that remark emerged as a stinging reply. But for now, let’s shift our focus on who’s going to replace Dan Hooker in the much-anticipated fight.

Who’s calling dibs at Dan Hooker’s place?

Well, the UFC faced a challenge when Dan Hooker withdrew from his co-main event fight against Justin Gaethje due to a hand injury. In a scramble to find a replacement, Rafael Fiziev stepped up, transforming the card into a high-stakes rematch. Although Renato Moicano and Mateusz Gamrot also expressed interest, Fiziev ultimately earned another shot at Gaethje. Their initial clash in March 2023 was intense, resulting in Gaethje winning by a majority decision and earning a Fight of the Night bonus.

Following that, Gaethje experienced a dramatic shift in his career, winning the BMF title by knocking out Poirier, only to lose it to Holloway’s brutal victory at UFC 300. In contrast, Fiziev has been recovering from a knee injury sustained in his last fight with Gamrot. Now, he’s jumping back into deep waters, hoping to flip the script on Gaethje.

With UFC 313 on the horizon as an action-packed event, Dana White is facing the challenge of managing the chaos. The main event will feature Alex Pereira defending his light heavyweight belt against Magomed Ankalaev. Meanwhile, Gaethje and Fiziev are set to battle it out in a three-round war instead of the initially planned five rounds. Amidst all the fight night excitement, Dan Hooker has managed to stay in the spotlight with some intriguing comments.

Look, the silver line is Arman might be focusing on his next opponent, but thanks to Hooker’s latest jab, he’s probably wishing he had kept his mouth shut.