At UFC Qatar, Dan Hooker welcomed Arman Tsarukyan at the main event, breaking the Armenian’s year-long hiatus from the sport. Even though ‘Ahalkalakets’ schooled ‘The Hangman’ with his grappling in Doha with a second-round submission, the fans appreciated the Kiwi for stepping up when the other lightweight contenders showed no interest in fighting him. Now, after Dana White’s early Paramount card announcements turned the situation complicated for Tsarukyan, Hooker again wants to rescue him. 

Currently, the Armenian UFC star sits in a tricky spot because he has nobody above him except the champion. Moreover, the UFC 324 main event between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight belt closed the door on his chance to fight Ilia Topuria next. So now, Arman Tsarukyan has to face someone lower in the rankings to stay active and keep his title hopes alive, and Dan Hooker seems more than ready to step in.

Dan Hooker sets sights on Arman Tsarukyan once again 

“Maybe I’ll get past BSD, and I think I’ll be there, and then you gotta put my hand up to run it back with Arman.” Dan Hooker told Main Event.

‘The Hangman’ is currently scheduled to face Benoit Saint-Denis at the UFC 325 co-main event, set to happen on February 01 (January 31st for America) in Sydney. So, if Hooker actually manages to get a win against the Frenchman, then the promotion might give him another shot at Tsarukyan.

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It might feel like Tsarukyan is in a lose-lose situation again, but to be fair, a Hooker rematch might be his safest bet here. By taking on someone like Gamrot, he again faces the risk of getting into a grappling-heavy match and being handed a decision that strips him of his No. 1 rank and the title shot. With ‘The Hangman’, he at least has a top contender with star power and a striking-heavy fighting style.

Now, looking at the lightweight division’s matchmaking trajectory, Dana White might also pair the Armenian with Mateusz Gamrot, since the Polish contender beat him in 2022. Also, the loser of Max Holloway vs Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 could target the #1 lightweight as well, since the winner would possibly push straight for a title shot. 

Still, even with those potential matchups in play, why does Hooker suddenly feel the need to step up and save the number one contender again?  It’s because the Kiwi believes the champion and the top contenders of his division keep ducking Arman Tsarukyan, especially the champion Ilia Topuria. 

The Inside Story

Ilia Topuria recently revealed that he won’t fight for the quarter of 2026 due to personal issues, and after he comes back, ‘El Matador’ looks set to face the winner of UFC 324. But even if the lightweight champ eventually retains his belt, there’s still heavy doubt about whether he would ever face Arman Tsarukyan. Why?

Even though Topuria carries serious animosity towards Tsarukyan, the Georgian Spaniard admitted right after winning the belt that he will never face the Armenian. If that fight lands at his door, the 155 lbs champ claimed he would rather vacate the belt. Moreover, Topuria’s interest in fighting Paddy Pimblett because of their shared history is already well known.

Because of these factors, many believe he might be avoiding Tsarukyan out of fear of a loss, and now Hooker also thinks that might actually be the case, citing Pimblett and Gaethje as examples.

“There’s a reason why Ilia doesn’t wanna get in the Octagon with him. I think there lies a problem. Everyone in the division is kinda ducking him at the moment. Ilia took some time off, and then the other two don’t wanna fight him. Paddy and Gaethje, they don’t wanna fight Arman, so now they’re fighting each other. So he’s kinda just left in the lurch.

Now, there’s some truth to Hooker’s statement. In a BBC interview, ‘The Paddy’ showed interest in fighting Justin Gaethje, not Arman Tsarukyan, saying “nobody cares” about the top-ranked 155er. On the other hand, ‘The Highlight’ didn’t want to step inside the Octagon for anything other than a title fight.

So, whatever the reason may be, ‘Ahalkalakets’ has been dealing with some clear avoidance from the top lightweights. That said, as Dana White already snubbed his chances by locking in the UFC 324 headliner, what do you think should be his next move? A Hooker rematch? Or do you have other matchups in mind? Let us know in the comments section below.