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Dan Hooker looking forward to fighting in front of 'home' Melbourne crowd for UFC 243

August 22, 2019

The Kiwi UFC fighter said fighting at UFC 243 on the same card as Israel Adesanya comes with a big benefit.

Dan Hooker is looking forward to fighting in front a "home" crowd in Melbourne after being confirmed on the undercard of UFC 243 where Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker will fight for the middleweight world title.

After a five-fight stint in the US, Hooker was excited to fight Al Iaquinta in front of a crowd with plenty of ex-pats and Kiwi fans who will travel to Victoria for the October 6 event at Marvel Stadium.

“I’m excited to get back there and fight in front of a home crowd, a supportive crowd instead of the hostile environment,” a laughing Hooker told 1 NEWS.

The fight also came with an added bonus for Hooker courtesy of his City Kickboxing stablemate Adesanya.

“I like him being on the same card, he can take all the media attention and I can fly under the radar and get the job done.”

UFC 241 could break the record for the largest crowd in the sport’s history if it sells out.

Melbourne's Marvel Stadium holds the record after 56,000 fans attended UFC 193 in 2015.

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