Dan Hooker lit up Submission Radio with a fiery interview, setting the stage for his UFC Qatar showdown against Arman Tsarukyan.
For the Kiwi lightweight, November 23 isn't just another fight - it's a chance to finally break into title contention after years of near misses.
He revealed in the interview that the fight has "been in the works for a while now," hinting that his camp had been carefully preparing for Tsarukyan long before the bout was official.
MORE: Dan Hooker lands UFC Qatar main event in bid for title shot
Unlike other lightweights in the top 10, Hooker didn't hesitate to accept the challenge, even acknowledging the Armenian's reputation as a nightmare matchup.
"I think he's the best fighter in the division... and I want to beat him," Hooker said.
The 35-year-old left no doubt about the stakes of the fight.
"If I beat Arman, I have to fight for the title next," he said.
With Ilia Topuria recently crowned champion, Hooker sees this fight as a direct gateway to gold, and he's determined to make himself impossible to overlook.
When discussing strategy, 'The Hangman' stripped things down into violent simplicity.
"I’m going to try to kick his head off," he declared.
Hooker also used the interview to needle Tsarukyan personally. He called the No.1 ranked lightweight "a bit of a donkey" and admitted that "there is a lot of animosity there."
"I don’t like his face," he continued.
"I don’t like that his face is attached to his body and I would love to separate the two.
"I can’t wait to elbow him in the nose.
"I don’t know anything about him but I hate everything he stands for."
Perhaps most telling was the contrast Hooker drew between his motivations, and the motivations of his opponent.
"We don’t fight for the same reasons," he said.
"He fights to be cool, so people give him attention and he gets likes on Instagram.
"I fight because it's in my blood. I fight because it’s just what I love to do."
For a fighter that has walked the long road in the UFC, he clearly hasn't lost his hunger, promising a must-see matchup on November 23.