The UFC is set to return to the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia in February and though we have several match-ups confirmed, it isn’t yet known or rumoured what will be topping the card in the night’s big attractions. You’d imagine that UFC 312 will feature several key names from Australia and New Zealand but the names at the forefront of that list is getting smaller.
It doesn’t look like former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will make this turnaround following the injury he suffered against Khamzat Chimaev last month. Though Alexander Volkanovski was very keen to fight on home soil, if he wants his rematch with Ilia Topuria, he’ll likely have to take the fight on the featherweight champion’s terms.
It seems likely that we could see a big middleweight presence on this card via the likes of the champion Dricus Du Plessis or his last opponent, the former two-time 185-pound king, Israel Adesanya. One name that has definitively ruled himself out is Adesanya’s long-time training partner at City Kickboxing in New Zealand, Dan Hooker.
Following his win over Mateusz Gamrot at the Octagon’s last stop off down under, Hooker is set for a huge fight next time out and has expressed interest in facing Justin Gaethje for the first time. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, “The Hangman” said that he isn’t even sure what the plans are for February 8 right now.
“Yeah, probably a bit after that. I think, I’m not sure, I don’t even know who’s fighting in February.”
Hooker went on to say that though Gaethje is still his preferred opponent, it won’t be happening in Sydney. He explained that with a new addition to his family arriving right around the same time as the Octagon, it’s not a risk that he’s willing to take.
“Yeah it seems like we usually tend to get like the middleweight title on the Australian cards. There was like what, Yoel and Rockhold, and like it always seems to be the middleweight title up for grabs down under in Australia but yeah, it’s gonna be a funny one. I’m not sure who’s headlining that but yeah, I’d say it’s not me my friend. February is not the best for me. I’ve got a baby dropping, it’s due just after the first week of February so I’ll be playing with fire there and I’m more scared of the missus than I am of the UFC. We’ll pump the brakes on that and yeah, probably after Feb.”