A pivotal lightweight showdown pitting Michael
Chandler against Dan Hooker is
official for the
UFC 257 co-main event.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the booking to broadcast partner
ESPN following an initial report from The Schmo last
week. UFC 257 takes place at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi on Jan.
23 and is headlined by a 155-pound clash between Conor
McGregor and Dustin
Poirier.
Chandler will make his highly-anticipated UFC debut after a
successful stint with Bellator MMA that saw him capture lightweight
gold on three different occasions. The former University of
Missouri wrestler enters the matchup with Hooker riding the
momentum of back-to-back first-round KO victories against Sidney
Outlaw and Benson
Henderson. Before being paired with Hooker, Chandler made
weight to serve as an alternate for the Khabib
Nurmagomedov–Justin
Gaethje headliner at UFC 254.
Hooker, meanwhile, will return for the first time since a memorable
five-round decision defeat at the hands of Poirier in the UFC on
ESPN 12 headliner this past June. Prior to that, “The Hangman”
scored successive victories over Paul Felder,
Al
Iaquinta and James Vick.
The City Kickboxing representative has won seven of his last nine
UFC bouts.