Overview
- Tsarukyan headlines UFC Qatar against Dan Hooker on Nov. 22 in Doha, marking his first fight since April 2024.
- He laughed off Hooker calling him a “spoiled little rich kid,” saying the trash talk hasn’t crossed personal lines and the fight is strictly business.
- Framing the matchup as “like a title fight,” he insists a victory should make him undeniable for the next lightweight title shot.
- Tsarukyan says the UFC has treated him well with a new contract and adds he would accept a short-notice title fight in January if offered.
- He praised Islam Makhachev’s willingness to face contenders and criticized Ilia Topuria’s matchmaking, while Jorge Masvidal publicly picked him to beat Hooker.