Kiwi books his return to the UFC octagon

Luke Jumeau is determined to finish the year how he started after being the latest Kiwi added to the UFC Fight Night card in Adelaide.

Stuff can confirm Jumeau will end a 10-month layoff against rising American welterweight Geoff Neal when the mixed martial arts promotion heads down under on December 2.

Since earning a contract on the Dana White Contender Series last year, Neal (10-2) has gone 2-0 in the UFC and is coming off an eyecatching performance in September when he dropped Frank Camacho with a vicious head kick.

Jumeau (13-4) also impressed in his most recent victory over Japan’s Daichi Abe at UFC 221 in February, only for a broken hand sustained in the bout to stall his momentum.

The 30-year-old Hamilton-based fighter required two operations to repair the injury. But now he has been given the green light to return Jumeau is ready to jump straight back in the deep end.

‘‘He’s a striker so I think we’ll both be looking to put on a show and try and knock each other out,’’ he said.

‘‘I always approach every fight the same way – potentially it could be my last. All the fights leading up to the UFC, every fight in the UFC, it’s a cutthroat business so I’m just going to go in there and give it my all.’’

The Adelaide event is headlined by a heavyweight clash between Australia’s Tai Tuivasa and former champion Junior dos Santos.

Jumeau is one of three Kiwis on the card alongside veteran heavyweight Mark Hunt, who is up against Justin Willis, while Kai Kara-France is making his UFC debut against Ashkan Mokhtarian.

Entering the last bout on his initial four-fight contract, it’s a hugely important period for Jumeau.

Neal is a southpaw and it’s the first time he has faced an opponent with a left-handed stance.

But working under renowned trainer Lolo Heimuli, Jumeau is confident of making the right adjustments.

‘‘I’m going over those little changes. There’s a couple of southpaws at the gym so I don’t think it will be too much of a problem,’’ he said.

‘‘You just need to drill a lot of footwork because you usually tend to circle away from the orthodox power hand, so you can end up circling into their power hand.

‘‘It’s just being diligent with our drilling.’’

Jumeau splits his training between Hamilton and Auckland, where he works with Heimuli. He will also spend time sparring with fellow UFC fighters Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker as they prepare for their upcoming bouts.

In previous fights, Jumeau would juggle training camp with his day job but this time he is able to focus solely on MMA, a huge boost heading into such an important fight.

‘‘Especially coming off quite a serious injury, it’s going to mean the difference,’’ he said.