AUCKLAND, New Zealand – It took learning things the (very) hard way for Dan Hooker to make a change.

After a six-fight featherweight UFC stint, Dan Hooker (13-7 MMA, 3-3 UFC) will make his first octagon appearance as a lightweight this Saturday, when he meets Ross Pearson (19-13 MMA, 11-10 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 110.

Why only now make the return to the division in which he’d previously competed and even won AFC’s belt, you ask?

“I saw a quote the other day, and it says ‘I never make the same mistake twice – I make it five or six times, just to be sure,'” Hooker told MMAjunkie ahead of the FS1-televised main card scrap at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. “And then after he sixth time, I was sure.”

While we’re yet to see how he fares against the competition in the UFC’s stacked 155-pound class, Hooker has already felt the difference as Saturday’s (though the fight actually takes place on Sunday in New Zealand) scrap approaches.

“I like to think I’m very strong mentally,” Hooker said. “So I can kind of block that out. I can wake up every day and tell myself I feel amazing. I can wake up fight day with a broken arm, and I’m going to tell myself that I feel like a million bucks.

“So, it’s just different. Now I actually am, compared with convincing myself I am.”

Since a successful debut in June of 2014, Hooker has been on a see-saw of mixed results that culminated with a decision setback to Jason Knight at last November’s UFC Fight Night 101. While his losses were all decided on the scorecards, his three octagon wins were finishes.

England’s Pearson, in turn, enters in serious need of a win after three consecutive setbacks. In spite of the shaky record, New Zealand’s Hooker views Pearson as a tough opponent who’s proven to be “no slouch” wherever the fight may go.

“It’s a perfect fight for my hometown,” Hooker said. “Because he’s a guy that’s going to come to fight. He’s not going to run around the octagon. He’s going to come to fight. And he’s going to push the pace.

“He’s very well-rounded. And it’s nothing but respect for Ross and what he’s accomplished in the sport. I’m just looking to put on a show for my home crowd.”

To hear more from Hooker, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 110, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.