UFC 325: Dan Hooker says he loves to fight because 'I don't want to get a real job'

When veteran lightweight contender Dan Hooker attempted to explain his consistency throughout an 11-year run as a fan favorite and UFC action star, the native of New Zealand couldn't help but lean upon his self-deprecating humor.  

"My mum says, 'You've got to be tough or you've got to be dumb. [And] you're a little bit of both,'" Hooker told CBS Sports on Tuesday. "So, it's a perfect recipe for success in this sport."

Hooker (24-13), who turns 36 in just two weeks, has ripped off win streaks of at least three fights on three occasions in the UFC over the last decade. He has also twice shaken off two-fight losing skids while building a reputation as one of the most willing entertainers on the roster who always seeks to fight the best and has a noticeable penchant for co-authoring memorable wars, including his five-round classic with Dustin Poirier in 2020. 

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But even though "The Hangman," who fights out of his home city of Auckland, New Zealand, is just two months removed from a second-round submission loss to top contender Arman Tsarukyan (which snapped a three-fight win streak), Hooker finds himself back on the horse this Saturday at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia, when the No. 6-ranked lightweight faces No. 8 Benoit Saint Denis (16-3, 1 NC), who is riding his own streak of three straight wins.

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In fact, Hooker said he never hesitated when he got the call from his manager for the co-headlining opportunity, accepting the three-round fight without even asking who the opponent was going to be.

For Hooker, his laissez-faire attitude is simply part of the method that makes up his madness, and a big reason why he has been able to shake off high-profile defeats in the past in order to consistently hold serve in the top 10 at 155 pounds for much of the last 10 years.

"[It's] because I ain't got no plan B. I can't sing, I can't dance and I don't want to get a real job," Hooker said. "Could you imagine Dan Hooker sitting in the office space next to you? I'd hit you over the head with my computer after the second day. It just can't happen. This is the only place. I've painted myself into a corner. I love this sport. I love this lifestyle. What are you going to do? If you beat yourself up over losses, the only person it's going to impact in the long run is you. 

"I can look at myself in the mirror and say that I fought the best and I gave it absolutely everything that I had. You go away, you get better and you come back and try it again." 

Check out the full interview with Dan Hooker on the Paramount UFC YouTube channel below.

Hooker isn't hiding his motivation to lure Saint Denis into a battle and said his resolve has only been bolstered by the fact that UFC president and CEO Dana White recently doubled the amount of performance bonuses to $100,000 to coincide with the new Paramount+ media rights deal in the U.S. 

Given the logjam atop the division as it pertains to the title picture, with new interim champion Justin Gaethje hoping to face full titleholder Ilia Topuria later this spring (and Tsarukyan lingering as a possible next opponent), Hooker is much more focused on what the prospects of a victory over BSD can do for his want to face the winner of the March 7 BMF title rematch at UFC 326 between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira in Las Vegas. 

To do that, Hooker will need to survive the explosive offensive power of Saint Denis, who has finished all eight of his UFC wins inside of two rounds. Part of BSD's new demeanor has seen him pulling back a bit on his full-throttle attack following a pair of 2024 stoppage losses to Poirier and Renato Moicano, but Hooker still feels he will have little issue enticing his French foe to welcome the firefight that most observers feel is inevitable between them.

"I'm coming for that fight of the night. And, I reckon, I have a beautiful dance partner," Hooker said. "I think Saint Denis could be exactly what I come here for and that's to put on a show for the Australian fans. That's the thing about it, I'm just being myself. My coaches have tried [to say], 'Fight smart, stick to the gameplan.' And I just can't, I just can't. The blood starts flowing, I start tasting those punches and I want to give it straight back. It's just who you are."

Hooker, who said he respects Saint Denis' ability to rebound from the two devastating defeats and start another win streak, feels his strategy to get his hand raised is as simple as it has ever been. 

"I feel like I just [need to] bite down on my mouthpiece a little bit harder than he bites down on his," Hooker said. "It's time for me to show that I belong in the top of the division and it's time for me to show that I do have what it takes."