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Tsarukyan Headbutts Hooker at UFC Qatar Weigh-In Ahead of Lightweight Title Eliminator

The incident heightens a title-eliminator that positions the winner to challenge Ilia Topuria.

Overview

  • Both fighters officially made weight for the main event, with Arman Tsarukyan at 156 pounds and Dan Hooker at 155.
  • The UFC stages its first event in Qatar at the Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah (ABHA) Arena in Doha, with the main card set for 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
  • Betting markets list Tsarukyan as a heavy favorite at roughly -625, drawing the vast majority of wagered money, while Hooker sits near +450.
  • Local regulators in Qatar could review the weigh-in altercation after Tsarukyan delivered a headbutt during the ceremonial faceoff.
  • A late heavyweight change places Waldo Cortes-Acosta against Shamil Gaziev on three days’ notice after Serghei Spivac withdrew.