Justin Gaethje has had a tumultuous build-up to his fight at UFC 313 after a late cancellation caused him a dramatic change.
The fan-favourite brawler was due to face Dan Hooker in a co-main event showdown that would have excited viewers. Both men are more interested in entertaining than defending at the best of times, and Hooker even admitted he was already prepared to go to the hospital afterwards.
However, devastating news struck early last week when the New Zealander suffered a fractured hand and was forced out of the fight. He even offered to wear gloves in two different sizes in order to allow for his heavily-swollen hand to work, but instead must take time out of the octagon.
Now, the UFC have opted to get a new opponent in for Gaethje who is making his return after almost a year out of the octagon. The fight is a rematch from UFC 286 in London two years ago, and could be a major moment for both men as well as the lightweight division.
As always, a range of UFC odds can be found on the NetBet website and app.
Who is Justin Gaethje fighting at UFC 313?
Gaethje has been matched with Rafael Fiziev in the co-main event of UFC 313 after Hooker pulled out. Fiziev is currently on a two-fight losing streak, starting with their first fight back in March of 2023.
The initial bout between the pair won them both a $50,000 Fight of The Night bonus at The O2 Arena in London. Between them, Gaethje and Fiziev have won 19 performance bonuses in their respective careers; with the American only ever missing out on two awards in his entire UFC career.
Fiziev’s disappointing injury loss to Mateusz Gamrot in September 2023 not only cost him his six-fight streak of bonuses, but over a year of his career. It is expected that the winner could jump the line for a shot at Islam Makhachev’s title shot.
Justin Gaethje UFC 313 Latest Odds
The oddsmakers here at Netbet don’t have Gaethje winning this one, pricing his moneyline at 2.18. Rafael Fiziev is the favourite at 1.68, likely given his time away from the octagon. However, both men have been out for a long period, and ring rust is expected to be a big factor.
Justin Gaethje UFC 313 Betting Tips
There aren’t very many markets just yet for this fight, but we’d recommend going for an accumulator to add some excitement to your evening. Gaethje’s chin after being viciously knocked out by Max Holloway may be suspect, so we’re going to pick Fiziev to stop him again.
We’re going to add on Alex Pereira retaining his title at the price of 1.88 and an underdog Rizvan Kuniev win over Curtis Blaydes on the undercard at 3.55. This gives you a treble at 11.21.
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