Leading mixed martial artist Dan Hooker will be one of the first Kiwi athletes to compete outside Australasia since Covid-19 struck when he fights in Las Vegas later this month.
Dan Hooker Photo: Photosport
Ranked fifth in a stacked UFC lightweight division, the Aucklander will face third-ranked American Dustin Poirier in a purpose-built facility at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on June 28 (NZ time).
The event, held with no fans in attendance, would be the eighth for the world's biggest MMA promotion since they became the world's first major sports league to resume competition on May 10.
Hooker's fight against the former interim lightweight champion had been in the works for several weeks and the New Zealander said the coronavirus crisis meant getting the bout confirmed was a challenging process.
"There was a lot of uncertainty about getting over to the US.
"We make our money by international travel, so having international travel banned really put a huge roadblock in the way. The US also announced they were no longer handing out visas, that's another massive roadblock in our line of work.
"There was huge uncertainty as to whether this fight would take place."
The confirmation out of the US of an athlete visa exemption paved the way for the bout to finally be booked.
Hooker would leave New Zealand next Tuesday and although he wasn't required to quarantine on arrival in the US, he would head straight for the event hotel and his movements are strictly limited.
All fighters are given separate training rooms and carry out all their pre-fight preparations and obligations at the hotel, before going to the UFC Apex for their fight and then heading for home.
While that didn't give Hooker much freedom during his short stay, he said that wasn't the most challenging part of the trip.
"When I come back to New Zealand I have to sit in good old quarantine for a couple of weeks, so it's actually pretty smooth sailing until we get back.
"But hey, New Zealand did all this hard work to get us to this point and be Covid free. The only way we're gonna get it back is from people like me coming back in, so I'm happy to sit in quarantine to keep us Kiwis safe."
Photo: RNZ / Mabel Muller
The announcement of the fight showed how highly Hooker was regarded by UFC brass, making him the first non US-based fighter locked into a bout since the promotion resumed events.
What that meant, however, was his preparations being significantly impacted.
New Zealand's time in level four and three lockdown effectively reduced Hooker's normal 12 week training camp to just five.
But given the size of the opportunity, turning down the fight never crossed his mind.
The five names ahead of him in the UFC lightweight division are all stars of the sport, most prominently Russian champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Irish superstar Conor McGregor.
Victory over Poirier would firmly put Hooker in the picture to fight for the title.
"I definitely know what's on the line but there's things that you can control and things that you can't control, and it's better to focus on the practical steps that I need to focus on to get the win.
"That's what I can do, that's how hard I can train and that's how much time I can put in with my coaches."
That level of focus would be key over the next week and a half, with the profile of Poirier and the other contenders in the division set to put plenty of spotlight on the fight.
Not that names or popularity meant anything to Hooker.
"When it comes down to fighting ability and skill, I stack up neck and neck with these guys. Just because you're famous doesn't mean that you can win a fist fight.
"Let's just say I don't think Mariah Carey could beat me up because she's got more followers than I do."
