New Zealand lightweight Dan Hooker will make his return to action on March 4, with a top-10 opponent facing him at UFC 285.
Hooker (22-12) will face Jalin Turner (13-5) in a 155lb match-up at the PPV event. The fighter announced the news during interview with The Mac Life in Tuesday. Cageside Press subsequently confirmed the booking.
“The Hangman” had a fight back in November when he finished Claudio Puelles with a body kick at UFC 281 in New York. He previously found himself defeated by current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and England’s Arnold Allen, the latter in a featherweight fight.
Ranked #11 in the UFC’s 155lb division, Hooker takes on #10 ranked fighter Jalin Turner, with the number next to Turner’s name playing a big part in the appeal of the fight.
Turner has won five straight fights dating back to February 2020. Most recently, he defeated another New Zealand reliever, Brad “Quake” Riddell.
UFC 285 lands on March 4, 2023 and marks the return of former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who will finally move up to heavyweight. Jones faces Cyril Gane for the vacant heavyweight title following the departure of Francis Ngannou from the organization. A second title fight features Valentina Shevchenko defending against Alexa Grasso.
The following matches have been reported for the event, one of two PPVs the promotion is holding in the month of March:
John Jones vs. Cyril Gane — for the vacant UFC heavyweight title
Valentina Shevchenko (c) vs. Alexa Grasso — for the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship
Vivian Araujo vs. Amanda Ribas
Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
Jeff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
Derek Brunson vs Drikus du Plessis
Cody Garbrandt vs. Julio Arce
Julián Marquez vs. Marc-Andre Barrio
Camuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics
Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Farid Basharat
Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Richie
Cameron Saaiman vs. Leomana Martinez