A lightweight clash between Dan Hooker and Jalin Turner has been signed for UFC 285 on March 4th in Las Vegas.
The 32-year-old Hooker ended 2022 on a high after claiming a second round TKO victory over Claudio Puelles at UFC 281 in NYC.
That was a much needed boost for the New Zealander as he’d lost four of his previous five fights over the past few years. That being said, Hooker perhaps fell victim to a particularly tough line-up of opposition during that spell, tasting defeat against Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, Islam Makhachev and then Arnold Allen in a one-and-done stint at 145lbs.
Now he goes up against the in-form Turner, who has racked up five wins in a row since the start of 2020, finishing all of his opponents inside the distance, including a submission finish against Brad Riddell back in July of last year.
That leaves Turner ranked No.10 in the 155lb weight class heading into this fight, one spot above the No.11 placed Hooker.
Hooker vs. Turner adds to a UFC 285 card that will be fronted by a blockbuster showdown for the vacant heavyweight title between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane, while Valentina Shevchenko defends her flyweight title against Alexa Grasso in the co-main event.
