UFC 325: Dan Hooker books return against Benoit Saint Denis in Sydney co-main event

Dan Hooker will return at UFC 325 in Sydney in February. Photo / Annaleise Shortland

Dan Hooker is getting straight back on the horse.

Less than a month after his submission loss to top-ranked Armenian UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan, Hooker has confirmed his next assignment in the octagon as the promotion prepares to return Downunder.

The 35-year-old Kiwi veteran will fight France’s Benoit Saint Denis in the co-main event at UFC 325 on February 1 in Sydney, with Australian featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski putting his title on the line in the headline act. Hooker will be one of five athletes training out of Auckland’s City Kickboxing gym appearing during the event, with middleweight Cam Rowston and lightweight Rongzhu also booked, while Aaron Tau and Lawrence Lui will look to secure their own UFC contracts with the Road To UFC finals also being held as part of the event. Kiwi light heavyweight Junior Tafa will also feature.

The bouts were announced during Sunday’s UFC 323 pay-per-view card in Las Vegas.

Hooker’s booking against Saint Denis is one many fans and pundits had suggested as a logical next step for him, with the pair ranked No 6 and 8 respectively and both known for their all-action approach to their work.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Kiwi, who has been limited to just one bout since the start of September last year due to injury, after he was handed his first defeat in more than three years against Tsarukyan in Qatar.

Saint Denis comes into the contest riding a three-fight winning streak with two submissions and a knockout – most recently taking American Beneil Dariush’s place in the top 10 – and gets another chance to work his way up in the division.

Saint Deni has been a force at lightweight, but the Frenchman has had his struggles against the division’s elite with his two losses in the division coming against perennial US contender Dustin Poirier and current No 10-ranked Renato Moicano of Brazil.

After an impressive knockout win in his UFC debut, Australian Rowston will take on American Cody Brundage, appearing alongside Tafa’s bouts against another American, Billy Elekana, on the early prelims.

China’s Rongzhu will appear in the featured preliminary bout, looking to halt the momentum of surging Australian Quillan Salkilld.

UFC 325, Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, February 1, 2026

Main card

Main event: Alexander Volkanovski (c) v Diego Lopes (2) for the UFC featherweight championship

Lightweight: Dan Hooker (6) v Benoit Saint Denis (8)

Lightweight: Rafael Fiziev (9) v Mauricio Ruffy (14)

Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa (12) v Tallison Teixeira (15)

Light heavyweight: Jimmy Crute v Dustin Jacoby

Preliminary card

Lightweight: Rongzhu v Quillan Salkilld

Heavyweight: Serghei Spivac (7) v Ante Delija (9)

Welterweight: Jonathan Micallef v Oban Elliott

Featherweight: Kaan Ofli v Yizha

Early prelims

Light heavyweight: Junior Tafa v Billy Elekana

Middleweight: Cam Rowston v Cody Brundage

Middleweight: Jacob Malkoun v Torrez Finney

Road To UFC final match-ups will also appear on the card, including New Zealand’s Aaron Tau and Lawrence Lui.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.