Dan Hooker (22-12) is ready to climb back up the Lightweight ranks.
The current No. 11-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 155-pound contender broke the news to The Mac Life today (Tues., Jan. 24, 2023) that he’ll be back in action at UFC 285 on March 4, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Standing in Hooker’s way will be the surging “Tarantula,” Jalin Turner (13-5).
“I think I said he turned the fight down and he was like, ‘Aye, man. I didn’t turn that fight down,’ then let’s fight then. And it worked,” Hooker said. “Fishing with dynamite, baby.
“He’s in the Top 10,” he continued. “We kind of just cracked the rankings or whatever. I think everyone knows me, I try to target the best guy. I try to target the highest person that you possibly can and that’s Jalin Turner. It’s a good fight, No. 11 versus 10. Get myself back in the Top 10, it’s exciting.”
Hooker snapped a worrisome two-fight losing streak in his last time out at UFC 281 in Nov. 2022, defeating Claudio Puelles in a vintage performance. The New Zealand native scored a second-round technical knockout with body kicks (watch highlights), reminding the world that he’s not done just yet.
Turner, on the other hand, is riding high off the momentum of a brilliant five-fight winning streak. Hooker’s teammate, Brad Riddell, fell victim to Turner in his last fight, winning via a guillotine choke submission in only 45 seconds at UFC 276 (watch highlights).
The current UFC 285 lineup can be seen here.
- 265lbs.: Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane
- 125lbs.: (C)Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso
- 125lbs.: Viviane Araújo vs. Amanda Ribas
- 185lbs.: Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett
- 170lbs.: Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
- 185lbs.: Derek Brunson vs. Dricus du Plessis
- 135lbs.: Cody Garbrandt vs. Julio Arce
- 185lbs.: Julian Marquez vs. Marc-André Barriault
- 155lbs.: Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics
- 135lbs.: Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Farid Basharat
- 115lbs.: Jessica Penne vs. Tabatha Ricci
- 135lbs.: Cameron Saaiman vs. Leomana Martinez
- 155lbs.: Jalin Turner vs. Dan Hooker