Kiwi trio set to join Adesanya at UFC 281

By Christopher Reive

UFC 281 just got a whole lot busier for the New Zealand contingent, with three more Kiwi fighters set to compete on the card.

The Herald can confirm Carlos Ulberg, Dan Hooker and Brad Riddell will join City Kickboxing teammate Israel Adesanya on the card at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 13.

Fresh off a first-round knockout in June, Ulberg (5-1) will look to continue his rise in the UFC's light heavyweight division against Romanian powerhouse Nicolae Negumereanu (13-1) – who also comes into the bout with a stoppage win in his last outing.

Speaking to the Herald, Ulberg said he had always believed he would one day find himself fighting at Madison Square Garden – a venue that has a long history in combat sports.

"For this to be that opportunity, I'm going to take it with both hands and grab that big apple. It's been a long time coming," he said.

"City Kickboxing is already thriving with guys and girls fighting on the local shows here in New Zealand and Australia, so working and training alongside them while we're all in camp is quite nice to have us all fighting on the same card as well."

For Hooker (21-12), it will be a return to the lightweight division after an unsuccessful foray down to featherweight in March. He will be looking to protect his No 13 ranking in the lightweight division against surging prospect Claudio Puelles (12-2) – a winner of five straight bouts and kneebar submissions in his last two.

"It's exciting, right?" Hooker said of the match up against 26-year-old Puelles. "He's a young kid with a lot of momentum, sitting just outside the top 15 and that's just the position I'm in. So, I'm happy to oblige."

The return to the octagon will come a little later than hoped for Hooker, who has been itching to get back to work for the past couple of months.

"I've been trying to get in a fight with someone - this is not when I wanted to wait around [until] and fight," Hooker said.

"But it's looking like it's worked out for the best. I get to prepare with my coaches, prepare with my team and not only get to prepare with them all, we get to go over there are one big family, one big unit and put on a show."

Riddell (10-3), who lost his place in the rankings after a submission loss last month, will look to get things back on track against the always entertaining style of Renato Moicano (16-5).

Earlier this month, Adesanya (23-1) announced in an appearance on ESPN show SportsCenter that he would be putting his title on the line in the main event of the UFC 281 card against Brazilian striker Alex Pereira (6-1).

Kiwi fighters in action at UFC 281

Middleweight championship: Israel Adesanya v Alex Pereira
Light heavyweight: Carlos Ulberg v Nicolae Negumereanu
Lightweight: Dan Hooker v Claudio Puelles
Lightweight: Brad Riddell v Renato Moicano