Dan Hooker just dropped a cryptic hint about his next fight, sending the MMA community into a frenzy. Fresh off his win against Mateusz Gamrot, ‘The Hangman’ might be stepping into the Octagon against none other than Justin Gaethje in 2025. Naturally, the potential matchup has already sparked widespread speculation among the fight community.

The buzz began when Hooker appeared on Submission Radio and was asked about the possibility of facing Gaethje in a BMF showdown. His response was delightfully ambiguous but enough to tease fans. Hooker raised his hand with a cryptic “OK” gesture, hinting that the fight might be closer to reality than expected.

He added with a smirk, “Merry Christmas, you filthy animals. Um, yeah, we’ll have to wait until it gets a little bit closer, you know what I mean? You know how these things work—fights don’t get made that far out.” The line, a playful nod to Home Alone’s iconic fake movie Angels with Even Filthier Souls, wasn’t just a coincidence. In fact, Justin Gaethje himself had used the exact same phrase in a cheeky response to a fan’s tweet.

The fan had wished for one thing this Christmas, “Dear Santa: There’s only one thing I want for Christmas. [Gaethje] vs [Hooker].” Gaethje replied with a classic Christmas meme featuring the words, “MERRY CHRISTMAS, YOU FILTHY ANIMAL,” further fanning the flames of anticipation.

After Hooker referenced Gaethje’s playful X post, the host remarked on how at least there was a positive response from his rumored opponent, rather than complete silence. Hooker responded “The UFC doesn’t just match fights that far out. You know how the sport works—things can change pretty drastically. So, yeah, we’ll have to wait until next year before anything gets locked in or falls through.”

When it comes to entertainment in the Octagon, both Dan Hooker and Justin Gaethje are near the top of the list. It’s no surprise that even Renato Moicano couldn’t contain his excitement about this potential matchup, revealing the “top-secret” news with fans eager to see it come to life.

Renato Moicano gives BTS news about Gaethje vs. Hooker

On December 19th, MMA Frenzy took to X to share an intriguing image of Hooker and Gaethje. The tweet captioned, “Renato Moicano says that he’s hearing information from ‘behind the scenes’ that Justin Gaethje will fight Dan Hooker next,” immediately sparked excitement among fans. MMA Mania also reported that the duo could be set to square off at UFC 313 in March 2025 in Las Vegas. While nothing has been officially confirmed by Dana White and the UFC, the potential matchup promises to be nothing short of electrifying.

Gaethje has been on a brief hiatus since his legendary bout at UFC 300, where he was knocked out in the final moments by Max Holloway. Before that, he was on a two-fight win streak, with standout victories over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 and Rafael Fiziev in London. On the flip side, Hooker has been on an impressive three-fight win streak, with victories over Claudio Puelles, Jalin Turner, and most recently, Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305.

With both Gaethje and Hooker bringing their trademark intensity to the Octagon, this fight would be a front-runner for Fight of the Night and potentially a show-stealer for UFC 313. Fans are already buzzing with anticipation, eager to see this showdown live! What do you think? Will we get to see this anticipated clash? Drop your predictions in the comment section below!