Jalin Turner is racking up a long list of Oceanic opponents.
Multiple people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed to MMA Fighting that “The Tarantula” is set to fight Dan Hooker (22-12) in a lightweight bout at UFC 285, which takes place March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The bout was first reported by The Mac Life.
Turner, the No. 12 lightweight in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings, seeks his sixth straight win after submitting Brad Riddell in 45 seconds at UFC 276 this past July. This is the fifth time Turner (13-5) has been booked to face a fighter from the Oceanic region inside the octagon, following New Zealand’s Riddell and Australians Jamie Mullarkey, Joshua Culibao and Callan Potter, all of whom Turner defeated.
Hooker earned a much-needed win at UFC 281 this past November, where he defeated Claudio Puelles via second-round TKO. That marked a successful return to the lightweight division after losing four of his past five bouts prior to beating Puelles.
UFC 285 is headlined by former light heavyweight king Jon Jones in his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane for the vacant title.