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, whileHioki 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.
"It's a dream match-up for me, he's a big name," Hooker told the Herald. "This is the perfect example of if you want to be a legend you have to beat a legend."
The Adelaide event will be headlined by Kiwi heavyweight Mark Hunt (10-9-1) who will meet American Stipe Miocic (12-2). Hooker's last bout also came on the undercard of a Hunt show after The Super Samoan knocked out the granite-chinned Roy Nelson (20-10) in the main event in Japan.
In Hooker's bout with Blanco, which all three judges scored 29-28 in favour of the Venezuelan, The Hangman received a stern lesson.
"My whole career I have inadvertently been on a mission to prove how tough I was. So I fought at heavyweight, I fought three times in one night; I went out and got in wars with guys, but at the top level, with the best guys, being tough isn't enough," Hooker said.
"I have to show my intelligence as a martial artist. What I took from my last fight is that I didn't do my skill and knowledge, as a fighter, justice; I'm out to prove that I'm on the higher level and belong with the top class of fighters." Hooker will complete his training camp for the bout in Saigon where he is working under head coach Barry Robinson and a collection of other mentors.
"It's a solid team to help get me prepared and I'm very confident heading into the fight and it's a great opportunity to beat one of the top guys in the world," Hooker said.
"It's great to experience different perspectives and understand new cultures; it's similar to a university exchange programme. I'm absorbing as much new information as I can so I can take it home and strengthen New Zealand combat sport."
Gold Coast-based Kiwi Dylan Andrews (17-6, 1NC) will also compete at the Adelaide show when he meets England's Bradley Scott (9-3) in a middleweight bout.
