Dan Hooker vs Benoit Saint Denis Fight Preview and Breakdown UFC 325
Dan Hooker and Benoit Saint Denis meet in the co main event of UFC 325, the penultimate fight on the main card. It is a classic lightweight style clash: Hooker’s long range kickboxing and pace against Saint Denis’ pressure, wrestling volume, and submission hunting.
Hooker vs Saint Denis Tale of the Tape
| Category | Dan Hooker | Benoit Saint Denis |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 24-13-0 | 16-3-0 (1 NC) |
| Height | 6’0″ | 5’11” |
| Reach | 75″ | 73″ |
| Stance | Switch | Southpaw |
| Age (DOB) | 35 (Feb 13, 1990) | 30 (Dec 18, 1995) |
Striking style differences: range kickboxing vs forward pressure
Hooker’s best work comes when he controls space with jabs, kicks, and intercepting knees, forcing opponents to enter on his terms. Statistically, he is a steady volume striker (4.89 significant strikes landed per minute via UFC Stats) with solid defense (50 percent) and the kind of experience that tends to make good in longer fights.
Saint Denis, however, is built for chaos. His output is higher (5.07 SLpM) and his accuracy is sharper (55 percent to Hooker’s 48%), but the trade off is defensive risk: he absorbs 4.21 significant strikes per minute and his defensive rate is around 42 percent. If Hooker can keep the fight at long range, the cleaner looks and counters are there all night for the taking.
Grappling style differences: Hooker’s defense vs Saint Denis’ takedown volume
This is where the matchup tilts. Saint Denis averages 4.33 takedowns per 15 minutes and couples that with 1.6 submission attempts per 15, which fits his reputation as a relentless grappler once he gets in close with his opponents.
Hooker is not a high frequency wrestler at all (0.71 takedowns per 15), so his grappling “win condition” is mostly defensive. If Hooker can stay upright, punish any entries that BSD tries, and make Saint Denis pay for failed shots, he’s got a real chance. Hooker’s takedown defense (77 percent) is a massively key number here, but it all depends on whether he can cope against Saint Denis’ relentless takedown attempts.
| Metric (Career) | Hooker | Saint Denis |
|---|---|---|
| SLpM | 4.89 | 5.07 |
| SApM | 4.73 | 4.21 |
| Str Acc | 48% | 55% |
| Str Def | 50% | 42% |
| TD Avg (per 15) | 0.71 | 4.33 |
| TD Acc | 34% | 37% |
| TD Def | 77% | 70% |
| Sub Avg (per 15) | 0.5 | 1.6 |
Keys to victory
- Hooker: The Hangman needs to win the first layer, own distance early, punish any attempts at level changes with knees and kicks, and force Saint Denis to shoot from too far out. If Hooker keeps his back off the fence, the striking efficiency gap can really start to show and he could control the fight.
- Saint Denis: BSD needs to make the fight ‘ugly’ on purpose. Pressure to the cage, chain takedowns, and turn every clinch into a scramble that leads to back takes or front headlock attacks is how he gets the job done to move him further up the 155lb ranks.
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