Overview
- Dan Hooker and Arman Tsarukyan meet on November 22 in Doha in the UFC’s first event in Qatar, per recent reporting.
- Dana White has confirmed the bout will decide the next challenger for lightweight champion Ilia Topuria.
- Hooker said he preferred Tsarukyan over Justin Gaethje because he views Tsarukyan as the direct path to the belt.
- The New Zealander escalated the pre-fight talk, saying outperforming expectations will make the No. 2 contender “look like an idiot.”
- Hooker enters as a +310 underdog on a three-fight win streak (24-12), while Tsarukyan is the higher-ranked favorite with a 22-3 record and last fought in April 2024.