Benoit Saint Denis stops Dan Hooker with second-round TKO at UFC 325 co-main event .
The co-main event of UFC 325 delivered fireworks as Dan “The Hangman” Hooker took on rising French contender Benoît Saint-Denis in a lightweight showdown that added real intrigue to the numbered card on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Dan Hooker has been a staple of the UFC’s lightweight division for years, known for his heavy leg kicks, iron chin, and willingness to stand and trade with anyone. In his most recent fight before UFC 325, Hooker suffered a second-round submission loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC Fight Night 265 in November 2025, ending a run in which he had previously won three of four fights. That loss put Hooker on the outside looking in for title contention, but he never lost his reputation as a tough, fan-friendly competitor.
Despite that setback, Hooker showed resilience throughout his career mixing familiar losses to elite competition with gutsy wins and arrived in Sydney eager to snap his skid and remind fans he still belongs near the top of the stacked lightweight division.
Benoît Saint-Denis came into the Sydney co-main event riding a wave of strong performances that re-energised his career. Before facing Hooker, Saint-Denis had won three straight fights by stoppage including victories over Mauricio Ruffy, kyle Prepolec and Beneil Dariush. These wins helped him build real momentum and rise up the lightweight rankings heading into his biggest fight yet.
Earlier in his career, Saint-Denis experienced back-to-back knockout losses in 2024 to veterans Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano, but his recent finishes proved he could respond and evolve.
The fight started and Saint Denis started with a quick takedown attempt, but Hooker immediately countered with a guillotine, and they separated. Hooker blocked another takedown, but Saint Denis kept pressing forward. Hooker circled away and landed a body kick, then another, keeping Saint Denis on the back foot. Saint Denis tried hard for another takedown, but Hooker defended well.
Saint Denis landed a left hand, mixing strikes before looking to grapple. Hooker then fought for a body lock and pushed Saint Denis to the fence. The fight got dirty and scrappy, just how Hooker likes it. Hooker landed another body kick and blocked yet another takedown attempt. Saiint Denis finally got a judo throw and ended up on top. He threw short elbows though it was nothing huge, but it put pressure on Hooker. He tried to isolate Hooker’s right arm for a kimura, but Hooker freed himself and got back to his feet. Saint Denis landed a knee, but Hooker answered with a clean body shot. Both traded wild strikes, with Hooker landing a crisp uppercut. Saint Denis powered through with a takedown and delivered solid ground-and-pound late in the first round.
Round 2 started with
Saint Denis landing a body kick and immediately went for a takedown. Hooker stayed upright, and they traded punches before Saint Denis went for another takedown. A wild scramble followed, and both got back to their feet. Saint Denis attempted another sloppy takedown, and Hooker almost ended up on top. And then
another scramble saw Saint Denis end up on top in an excellent position to throw elbows. He landed eight or nine hard strikes and briefly considered an Americana and an arm-triangle but focused on keeping full mount. Hooker was overwhelmed and Saint Denis then worked for an arm-triangle, tightening it as Hooker strained and changed color but refused to tap. He passed Hooker’s guard and readjusted to tighten the submission while landing hammer fists to the side of the head. The arm-triangle attempt failed, but Saint Denis continued with relentless ground-and-pound and elbow after elbow kept raining down. Hooker avoided a clean finish but was being completely dominated. Referee Herb Dean warned Hooker to fight back, but he could not defend effectively. With no recovery in sight, the fight was stopped, giving Saint Denis the victory.
In the post fight interview, Saint Denis credits Hooker for controlling the distance, so he had to go back to “seek and destroy” mode. “I’m going to be champion with this shit, because no one is going to do this [three rounds] with me. Nobody. Give me the f*cking belt. I’m ready. … For me, there’s only Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Ilia Topuria I have in mind.
“ Arman as well, you say No. 1 contender, I’m going to take your f*cking spot. I’m here to be the champion.”
UFC 325 Main card
Alexander Volkanovski def. Diego Lopes via unanimous decision
Benoit Saint Denis def. Dan Hooker via second-round TKO (4:45)
Mauricio Ruffy def. Rafael Fiziev via secound-round TKO (4:30)
Tallison Teixeira def. Tai Tuivasa via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Quillan Salkilld def. Jamie Mullarkey via submission (RNC) (R1, 3:02)
UFC 325 Prelims
Billy Elekana def. Junior Tafa via submission (rear-naked choke) (R2, 3:18)
Cameron Rowston def. Cody Brundage via second-round TKO (4:08)
Jacob Malkoun def. Torrez Finney via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26 x2)
Jonathan Micallef def. Oban Elliott via technical submission (RNC) (R2, 3:31)
Kaan Ofli def. Yizha via majority decision (29-28 x2, 28-28)
Dom Mar Fan def. Kim Sangwook via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Keiichiro Nakamura def. Sebastian Szalay via third-round TKO (3:48)
Lawrence Lui def. Sulangrangbo via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
