ABHA, Qatar – Arman Tsarukyan might have just punched and choked his ticket to a UFC title shot. In his first fight of the year, after injury derailed a planned January title opportunity, Tsarukyan returned with a vengeance in the UFC Qatar main event, brutalizing veteran contender Dan Hooker before finishing him with a suffocating arm-triangle choke in Round 2. The official time was 3:34 of the second round, as Tsarukyan extended his win streak to five straight and immediately called out lightweight champion Ilia Topuria.
“Feeling great. Thank Dan because of him, I fought this year,” Tsarukyan said in the cage. “Only guy who wanted to fight me. Ilia, if you’re here, come on. There is just one contender, No. 1 it’s Arman Tsarukyan. Everybody knows I’ve got to fight for the title. I’m ready. End of January, send me contract, I’ll be there. Nobody can stop me in the cage. I’m the best in the world and I’m going to be a champion.”
Early Standup Success, Then Pure Domination on the Mat
Tsarukyan didn’t just show off his grappling. Early on, he proved he could hang and hurt on the feet too.
His first takedown attempt in Round 1 was stuffed, but as Hooker tried to separate, Tsarukyan drilled him with a huge knee up the middle that clearly rattled the New Zealander. Sensing the opening, Tsarukyan followed with a sharp punching combination that landed flush and forced Hooker to go defensive.
Hooker regained his bearings long enough to clinch and even threatened with a guillotine choke. But Tsarukyan stayed composed, scrambled free, and wound up on top. Once there, the blueprint of the fight was established: heavy elbows, constant pressure, and calculated advances toward better positions and submission setups.
Hooker’s Guillotine Attempts Backfire
Round 2 started with another brief bit of promise for Hooker, but it quickly dissolved into the same nightmare.
Again, he jumped on a guillotine. Again, it backfired. Tsarukyan calmly worked his way out and landed in top position, where he unleashed vicious ground and pound hard elbows, sharp punches, and relentless pressure. Hooker was forced into survival mode, absorbing damage and trying to tie Tsarukyan up instead of mounting offense.
Tsarukyan advanced to mount, continuing to hammer away until Hooker’s defenses opened just enough. That’s when he slid off to the side and locked in the arm-triangle. With his head low, hips adjusted, and his squeeze tightening like a vice, Tsarukyan slowly squeezed the fight out of Hooker. The veteran tried to hang on, but eventually was forced to tap before going out.
With another ranked name added to his résumé and a highlight-reel dominance on a big stage, Tsarukyan used his post-fight moment to push hard for a title shot.
All indications had been that Ilia Topuria was headed toward a first defense against Paddy Pimblett in early 2026. But Tsarukyan’s performance and his clear, confident callout may have just complicated that plan.
On form, Tsarukyan looks like the most dangerous stylistic threat to Topuria’s reign: a relentless wrestler with increasingly sharp striking and a gas tank built for five hard rounds. Even if the timing doesn’t break his way, Tsarukyan has done exactly what a contender is supposed to do:
Win big, win violently, and leave the UFC with no doubt who the real No. 1 contender is.
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
