Athletes
Dan Hooker | Big Game Hunting
All-Action Standout Talks Targeting Arman Tsarukyan, Eyes Championship Opportunity
Sitting on the sidelines, recovering from having busted his paw earlier in the year, Dan Hooker surveyed the landscape of the UFC lightweight division and did a little matchmaking, trying to figure out how things would line up in the wake of Ilia Topuria ascending to the throne in June. Studying things from his home in Auckland, “The Hangman” concluded that he was pretty much the only Top 10 talent that would be willing to step up and face No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan, so he made it his mission to secure the matchup.
“I chased down the fight,” he told the UFC digital team this week in Qatar, where he’ll face Tsarukyan in the main event of the promotion’s inaugural event at ABHA Arena on Saturday. “I went and nagged (UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby and (Chief Business Officer) Hunter Campbell —I said that I wanted him, and I was happy that I got it over the line.
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“I knew no one else would wanna fight him,” continued the engaging City Kickboxing man, who enters his second UFC main event on a three-fight winning streak. “He’s a dork, but he’s a very talented fighter. He’s very good at winning fights, and then I guess how his title shot played out — he pulled out at the last minute — it gave a lot of bigger names in the division a reason not to accept the fight.”
Tsarukyan was scheduled to challenge then-champion Islam Makhachev for the title at UFC 311 in January in a rematch of their ultra-competitive clash five-plus years earlier, which Tsarukyan took on short notice. But the night before weigh-ins, the Armenian contender suffered a back injury and was forced to withdraw from the contest, opening the door for Renato Moicano to step in against Makhachev and giving everyone in the division an easy way to decline sharing the cage with him, at least in Hooker’s estimation.
The #UFCQatar main event has arrived! ✈️@ArmanUFC vs @DanTheHangman pic.twitter.com/bMUbd4b6h2
— UFC (@ufc) November 18, 2025
“The champ can just say, ‘He’s a pullout,’ and the other guys, the bigger named guys like (Justin) Gaethje can say, ‘Naw, the guy’s gonna pull out anyway,’” suggested Hooker, who was scheduled to face Gaethje in March before breaking his hand. “He gave them a good reason (not to fight him), and looking at the division, I could just see that I was the only one that was gonna take the fight, so I chased it down.”
WATCH: UFC Journey Featuring Arman Tsarukyan And Dan Hooker
It's a shrewd piece of business by the 35-year-old standout, who currently sits at No. 6 in the divisional ranks, as there are only a handful of competitors currently situated between him and Tsarukyan in the rankings, with Topuria stationed at the top of the division, and his first title defense has yet to be announced.
Former champ Charles Oliveira lost to Topuria during International Fight Week and then called for a BMF title fight following his win over Mateusz Gamrot in Rio, which Max Holloway accepted, on the condition that the fight happens in Las Vegas or some other destination of his choosing. That leaves Gaethje, who remained on the UFC 313 fight card in March, besting Rafael Fiziev, and Paddy Pimblett, who pushed his record to 7-0 inside the Octagon with a stoppage win over Michael Chandler in April and then faced off with the new champ as soon as he was presented with his belt in June.
Full Fight | Dan Hooker vs Mateusz Gamrot
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Full Fight | Dan Hooker vs Mateusz Gamrot
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Gaethje has been publicly lobbying for another championship opportunity, and the simmering tensions between Topuria and “Paddy the Baddy” make that a fight many want to see, but Hooker can add his name into the mix should he push his winning streak to four and earn a decisive win over Tsarukyan on Saturday.
“The door is open; the door is wide open,” Hooker said in his signature playful tone. “It’s exciting. The boss said this is a No. 1 contender fight and that’s why I chased down Arman, because I know that you get passed him, you get him out of the way, you’re looking down the barrel of a title shot.”
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What makes things even more interesting for the heavily inked purveyor of One-Minute Scraps is that this weekend’s pairing is both a colossal challenge and a bout where few expect him to succeed, two things that genuinely get the all-action fighter all revved up.
“If you’re gonna fight anyone, you might as well fight the best guy you can possibly get your hands on,” Hooker said in a way that suggested he doesn’t understand why anyone would do anything else. “I feel like I rise to the occasion when I fight someone that is super-talented; that puts the pressure on me and brings out the best in my skill and abilities, and that’s why I look for the harder fights I can get my hands on.
“I like the fights where everyone kind of counts you out; that’s the most exciting to me,” he added. “I feel like all the pressure is on him as well —people were expecting big things, so that’s where the fight is, and it’s a beautiful mental game because everything I do has to chip away at what should be going on; that’s why it’s a beautiful fight. I start landing punches, I start stuffing takedowns, then that opinion just starts to fall apart.”
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Asked how much that mental element could impact things once he and Tsarukyan are in the Octagon trading blows this weekend, Hooker offered up a mischievous grin and said, “That’s a huge part of the fight game! Understanding the mental side that your opponent is coming into the fight with — it’s something you can use against him. It’s massive.
“It’s a fun game; I love to play it.”
WATCH: Islam Makhachev Names His Next Target At Welterweight
And now, after far too long on the sidelines for his own liking —and the liking of fans everywhere — there are only two things left for Hooker to do.
“It’s time to pull the trigger and do everything that I’m capable of doing,” he said regarding the fight itself. “(After that), there’s only really one thing left to ask for —that I have never asked for before —so we’ll save it.”
Zac Pacleb contributed to this story.
UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker took place live from ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar on November 22, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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