Hooker defeated Mateusz Gamrot in his most recent Octagon appearance at UFC 305 last year. Meanwhile, Fiziev suffered a loss against Gamrot in 2023 due to a mid-fight knee injury.

Hooker has three fight-of-the-night bonuses, one from his last win against top contender Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305. He also has a fight-of-the-year contender against Poirier from 2021.