Buckle up, NZ fight fans - Kiwi UFC star Dan Hooker's mouth watering matchup with promotional newcomer Michael Chandler has been confirmed.
The bout will be the co-main event for UFC 257 at 'Fight Island' in Abu Dhabi on January 24 (NZ time) to be headlined by the return of iconic Irishman Conor McGregor in a rematch with Dustin Poirier.
The card will be the marquee act of a trio of events in a 'triple header' week to mark the promotion's return to Yas Island in 2021.
It will also will provide the Aucklander with the biggest stage of his career to date, with the UFC's No.1 drawcard McGregor's first fight in over a year certain to attract an enormous number of pay-per-view buys.
'The Hangman' will welcome the former Bellator world champion into the Octagon in one of the most hotly anticipated UFC debuts in recent history for a stylistic joust that promises to add another scene to Hooker's highlight reel of show-stopping fights.
In September, the 34-year-old Chandler inked an exclusive, multi-fight deal with the UFC after a 10-year tenure with Bellator, where the three-time lightweight champion established a reputation as one of the world's premier 155lbers.
His first outing under the UFC banner against Hooker is a baptism of fire, and offers both a chance to stake their claim for the lightweight title vacated by Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired undefeated after his win over Justin Gaethje in October.
Whoever emerges from the UFC 257 main event between McGregor and Poirier will likely seal one of the two spots available in a eventual championship fight for the belt.
An impressive display for the sixth-ranked Hooker would move him near the front of that queue of potential opponents, alongside the likes of the surging Charles Oliveira, Gaethje, and Rafael Dos Anjos in a logjam at the top of promotion's most competitive division.
Hooker was last in action in June, where he lost a Fight of the Year contender against Poirier, snapping a three-fight win streak.
The unofficial City Kickboxing captain will depart on Tuesday, while further fight announcements involving his teammates are imminent.
Flyweight Kai Kara-France has teased his next opponent, having inked a new four-fight deal with the UFC.
Brad Riddell is also in line for a new bout, as is newcomer Carlos Ulberg, who clinched a multi-fight contract with his performance on Dana White's Contender series in November.
They may well feature on those Yas Island cards - which are yet to be completed - or on the undercard of Israel Adesanya's light heavyweight title bid against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 on March 7.
