Ahead of his UFC 325 showdown with Benoît Saint Denis in Sydney this weekend, New Zealand lightweight Dan Hooker articulated a philosophy that separates him from the typical fighter. In the pre-fight press conference, he explained how he discovered the mentality that defines his approach to combat: the deliberate dismantling of his opponents’ ambitions.​

Hooker frames his mental evolution around a shift in perspective following his loss to Arman Tsarukyan in November 2025. The New Zealander, ranked sixth in the lightweight division with a 24-13 professional record, acknowledged that entering the Tsarukyan bout with excessive confidence cost him. That fight ended via arm-triangle submission in the second round, a brutal finish that prompted reflection.

Dan Hooker: “They’re Going to Pay Me a Boatload of Money to Ruin People’s Dreams”

Speaking candidly, Hooker revealed what he discovered works best for him inside the cage. “I want to ruin his dreams,” he stated, adding that he questioned whether this mentality made him a difficult person. His training partners offered reassurance. “They said, ‘No, it doesn’t. No, it doesn’t,’” he explained. The realization crystallized into something both simple and unfiltered: “They’re going to pay me a boatload of money to ruin people’s dreams, and I’m still a good guy. I found my niche, baby.”​

Hooker operates from a place where confidence becomes a liability without doubt driving preparation. He elaborated on how uncertainty during training camp actually serves him. The less confident he feels in preparation, the harder he trains and the more thoroughly he prepares for every contingency.

No More Dreams

Part of Hooker’s unconventional mindset surfaces in his philosophy on visualization and goals. When asked about dreams and aspirations heading into UFC 325, he delivered a startling revelation: he has not experienced a dream in years. He explained that he solved the common fighter’s nightmare, the one where you hit an opponent but cannot damage them, by discovering the technique that works in the dream realm.

I would clinch them and then knee them and then give them heaps of cuts and there’s heaps of blood,” he recounted. “And then since I figured out how to bash people in my dreams, I have never dreamed ever again. I’ve clocked it.” His life goals have simplified to financial ones: to make more money than he can spend, a pragmatic ambition stripped of romanticized notions of championship glory.​

Saint Denis, ranked eighth in the lightweight division with a 16-3-0 record (one no-contest), presents a complex puzzle. The Frenchman has engineered a remarkable comeback following devastating losses to Dustin Poirier in March 2024 and Renato Moicano in September 2024. Since those setbacks, Saint Denis has strung together three consecutive victories, including a stunning 16-second knockout of veteran Beneil Dariush at UFC 322 in November 2025. His technical proficiency, particularly his grappling, combined with refined striking makes him a legitimate threat.

“That is something that I respect. I respect that because it’s as a guy myself that’s picked myself off the canvas and gone, you know, had a couple losses and then got back on a win streak, had a couple of losses, like I know how tough that is. I know how much character you need as a human to pick yourself back up off the mat.”

For Hooker, the Sydney main card co-event represents an opportunity to reassert himself. Fighting in Australia carries inherent pressure, though his City Kickboxing team thrives on such occasions. Saint Denis, meanwhile, faces a hostile environment and a fighter unafraid to embrace the chaos that defines combat sports. Hooker’s previous camp with Tsarukyan was complicated by an incident at the weigh-ins where he sustained a broken nose from a headbutt, yet withdrew without hesitation.

DOHA, QATAR – NOVEMBER 22: Dan Hooker of New Zealand prepares to face Arman Tsarukyan of Georgia in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at ABHA Arena on November 22, 2025 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

As UFC 325 approaches on February 1 in Sydney, Hooker enters the bout with the psychological framework that failed against Tsarukyan now recalibrated and refined.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 18: Dan Hooker of New Zealand reacts after his victory against Mateusz Gamrot of Poland in a lightweight fight during the UFC 305 event at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)