Overview
- Both fighters successfully made weight, confirming the lightweight main event in Qatar this weekend.
- Hooker says a massage therapist told his friend she avoided hard pressure on Tsarukyan’s back, a claim not medically verified.
- Bloody Elbow’s staff predictions overwhelmingly favor Tsarukyan, with several expecting a finish by submission or knockout.
- Tsarukyan previously withdrew from a title bout with Islam Makhachev due to a back injury sustained during a 155-pound cut.
- Hooker, who recovered from a broken hand earlier this year, says he targeted Tsarukyan and views the matchup as his route back into contention.