It's time for Dan Hooker's follow-up act in the UFC.
After his maiden outing resulted in an impressive first-round TKO victory over Ian Entwistle at UFC Fight Night 43 in Auckland in June, the Kiwi featherweight made an impassioned plea to fight on today's card in Japan that will beheadlined by Mark Hunt.
His wish was granted and the 24-year-old will open UFC Fight Night 52 in Saitama, near Tokyo, when he meets Japan-based Venezuelan Maximo Blanco (10-6-1, 1NC). The bout shapes as an entertaining affair given both men come from a striking background.
Hooker (11-4) said his thorough preparation had put him on the right path to perform in his second UFC appearance.
"That's where I get a lot of my confidence from, that I have done all I can do to win," Hooker said. "All those hard sessions, all those grinding sessions, all those sprints. I've done every single thing I could possibly do to be the best fighter on that day and that's where I can get a lot of confidence. So that allows me to be calm."
The buildup to Hooker's last fight saw him focus on the same thing every day as Entwistle was a ground-game specialist known for leg locks.
Blanco is a more well-rounded fighter, which meant Hooker's recent training camp was filled with variety.
"It was a lot more fun trying to get ready for everything rather than that specialist skill set," Hooker said. "I've got to work on my whole game rather than one specific chain of events."
Despite Blanco being based in Japan, Hooker doesn't expect to lack support in front of 21,000 fight fans at Super Arena. "From what I hear, they love Kiwis, so I don't think I'll be booed when I walk out," he said.
One of the biggest cheers of the night may well be reserved for New Zealand's Mark Hunt, who will fight in the five-round main event against American Roy "Big Country" Nelson in a bout that could have heavyweight title ramifications.
