UFC Auckland gets headliner in Paul Felder vs. Dan Hooker
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The UFC returns to Auckland, New Zealand for the third time in the promotion’s history and their first visit since June 2017.
Dan “The Hangman” Hooker (19-8) has really come into his own at 155-pounds as evidenced by his recent performances. As he inches closer and closer to the division’s peak, he now gets his biggest fight yet.
The Auckland native announced it himself on Wednesday before the UFC quickly confirmed the news themselves. On February 23, 2020, Hooker will head home to main event against the No. 6 ranked contender Paul Felder (17-4).
Like Hooker, Felder has also found himself in his fighting prime on his recent run.
5-1 in his last six outings, Felder currently rides a five-fight winning streak at lightweight after earning decision wins over James Vick and most recently Edson Barboza in their rematch. The latter taking place in the co-main event of UFC 242 in September.
Hooker, 29, has a similar record in his recent fights as he is 6-1 in his last seven. The first of those seven fights acted as Hooker’s return to lightweight after a patchy stint at featherweight where he went 3-3 alternating results.
His lone loss on since returning to 155-pounds came to Barboza at the end of 2018. Since the loss, Hooker would also score a victory over Vick but he did so by first-round knockout before picking apart Al Iaquinta en route to a unanimous decision win at UFC 243. Before Hooker had his four-fight winning streak snapped by Barboza, he had won all four of those fights via finish (three KO/TKOs, one submission).
As for the rest of the UFC Auckland card, this is the fight to be announced thus far. Although another lightweight bout pitting Magomed Mustafaev against Brad Riddell has been reported as well.
With UFC Auckland still a ways away, we’re sure to be getting the rest of the card’s matchups announced as 2019 winds down.
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The Scrap’s Drake Riggs is a MMA writer and YouTuber based out of Brush Prairie, Washington who specializes in feature pieces, the women’s fight scene, lists, news coverage, and rankings. Riggs has been a passionate MMA fan since 2009 and has written for various news sources. You can follow him on Twitter (@Dre_Kriggs).
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