DAN HOOKER

Representing City Kickboxing, the New Zealand native Daniel Preston Hooker joined the UFC in 2014. Throughout his tenure with the organization, he has challenged opponents in both the lightweight and featherweight weight classes. The orthodox fighter holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and gained recognition as the King in the Ring Middleweight Kickboxing Champion before his promotional arrival. His lengthy career is marked by various performance and fight night honors earned during his bouts.

Entering the matchup with a professional record of 24-14-0, Hooker faces a difficult stretch of recent performances. He dropped his two most recent contests, falling to Benoît Saint Denis via strikes in early 2026 and succumbing to an arm-triangle choke against Arman Tsarukyan. Prior to those setbacks, he secured back-to-back split decision victories over Mateusz Gamrot and Jalin Turner, preceded by a body kick finish against Claudio Puelles.