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Dan Hooker has claimed he will make Arman Tsarukyan look “like an idiot” in their UFC Qatar main event, simply by outperforming fans’ expectations. Hooker, ranked seventh at lightweight, and No 2-ranked Tsarukyan will clash on 22 November, and a win for the latter might secure him a title shot. Tsarukyan was one day away from challenging then-champion Islam Makhachev in January, but the Armenian withdrew from the fight due to a back injury. Makhachev submitted late replacement Renato Moicano then vacated the title in May, before Ilia Topuria claimed the vacant gold in June. Topuria’s first defence of the title is up in the air, though it seems Justin Gaethje or Paddy Pimblett will be his first challenger now that Tsarukyan is booked against Hooker. “This fight excites me because they feel like Arman is a lot better than I am,” Hooker told Sky Sports. “It’s like, anything good that I do, Arman is going to start to look more like an idiot. “He was supposed to be this super-freak athlete, title contender, the guy to beat Ilia Topuria. They’re ‘hiding’ the champion from him – this is his story. “And now he’s losing to Dan Hooker, the bloke from New Zealand who’s lost a third of his fights. Anything that I do starts to make him look more and more human. “I feel like he’s the one who has something to prove in this fight, and that is a difficult spot for a fighter to be [in]. I don’t feel like I have to prove myself to everyone, I’m comfortable with who I am. I’m just excited to beat him, that’s what excites me.” Hooker, 35, and Tsarukyan, 29, were trading barbs on social media even before their fight was announced. Hooker will enter UFC Qatar on a three-fight win streak, having most recently won a split decision against Mateusz Gamrot in August 2024. He was then booked against Gaethje in March, but a hand injury forced the Kiwi out of the bout. Meanwhile, Tsarukyan has not fought since April 2024, when he won a split decision against former champion Charles Oliveira.
