The UFC will cap its comeback month in Las Vegas with a big lightweight-contender bout, which is now official.
Dustin Poirier weighed in at 156 pounds and Dan Hooker hit the scale at 155.5 pounds Friday morning. The two will meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday at the UFC Apex.
The facility is across from the UFC's campus and no fans will be in attendance. This will be the fourth consecutive week the UFC holds a card on a Saturday in Las Vegas.
ESPN has Poirier ranked No. 4 and Hooker ranked No. 5 among MMA lightweights. The bout holds significant divisional implications.
Poirier (25-6, 1 NC) has not fought since a title fight loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 last September. Before that bout, Poirier, a Louisiana native, was the UFC interim lightweight champion on a six-fight unbeaten streak. Poirier, 31, has career wins over the likes of current UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway and former UFC lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez.
Hooker (20-8) has won three straight and seven of his past eight fights. The New Zealand native is coming off a split-decision victory over Paul Felder in February. Hooker, 30, trains with the red-hot City Kickboxing, which features UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Both co-main event competitors also hit weight successfully for their welterweight contest. Mickey Gall weighed in at 170 pounds and Mike Perry was 171.
Every other fighter on the card also made weight successfully.
A women's flyweight bout between Miranda Maverick and Mara Romero Borella scheduled for Saturday was nixed this week. Maverick wrote on Instagram that doctors found an injury during her medical exams this week and she would not be medically cleared to compete. No new opponent was found for Romero Borella.