Auckland's Dan Hooker will face the biggest test of his MMA career when he meets Japanese veteran Hatsu Hioki at UFC Fight Night 65 in Adelaide in May.
The Kiwi featherweight is looking to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Maximo Blanco (11-6-1, 1NC) in Japan in September, while Hioki last fought when he was submitted by Charles Oliveira (19-4, 1NC) at UFC Fight Night 43 in Auckland in June.
Hooker (11-5) made his UFC debut at the Auckland show last year when he beat England's Ian Entwistle (9-2) via TKO in the first round but the 25-year-old will need to find another level against Hioki who was once one of the top-ranked featherweights in the world.
Hioki (27-8-2) has lost four of his past five but the 31-year-old is a dangerous submission artist, having collected 12 of his career wins via submission.
Hooker, who has been training in Vietnam recently in a bid to experience a different culture, welcomed the step up in competition on May 10.