As the fight card for the UFC's return to Seattle later this year takes shape, a Canadian has been added to the fold.
Lance Gibson Jr. will take on Chase Hooper in a lightweight bout as part of the March 28 event at Climate Pledge Arena, the UFC announced on Thursday.
It will be homecoming of sorts for the 30-year-old, as Gibson was born in Seattle but fights out of Port Moody, B.C.
When Gibson (9-2-0) steps into the octagon in a couple of months, it'll mark just his second UFC fight while still in search of his first victory under the banner. Gibson, known as "Fearless," lost a split decision to 155-pound veteran King Green in December 2025. For what it's worth, Gibson's debut came under less-than-ideal circumstances as he accepted the matchup on less than one week's notice.
Because of the short turnaround, the Gibson-Green fight was contested at a catchweight of 160 pounds rather than the normal 156-pound lightweight non-title limit. Both men weighed in at 158.5 pounds.
The loss was Gibson's first fight since 2022 to end via decision, with the previous coming in a win for him against Nainoa Dung at Bellator 279. Between that victory and his most recent loss, Gibson had won three of four fights, all by first-round stoppage.
Hooper (16-4-1) is in need of a bounce-back, also. The 26-year-old enters the matchup on the heels of a first-round TKO loss to Alexander Hernandez that put a halt to his best stretch of performances in the UFC.
Before losing at UFC 319 in Aug. 2025, "The Dream" had won three consecutive fights, including two by submission, the second of which won him a performance of the night bonus.
Gibson vs. Hooper is the third bout to be announced for UFC Seattle, joining a pair of ranked matchups with plenty of star power. Former women's flyweight champ and current No. 3 Alexa Grasso will take on No. 5 Maycee Barber in the co-main, while another former title-holder, Israel Adesanya (No. 6), will face off against Joe Pyfer (No. 15) in middleweight action for the main event.
The UFC returned to Seattle in 2025 for the first time in more than a dozen years with UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song last February. The March 28 card will mark the organization’s fifth UFC event in the Emerald City since 2011.
— with files from the Associated Press
