Lightweight Dan Hooker admits that he and Arman Tsarukyan aren’t exactly the best of friends — they flat out don’t like each other — but as the main event of UFC Qatar draws closer, those hard feelings have taken a backseat to what really matters.
“Obviously we don’t like each other, but a lot of that goes away the closer we get,” Hooker (24-12) said Wednesday during media day ahead of the promotion’s debut in Doha, Qatar. “I’m just excited for the event, I’m excited for the moment, I’m excited to go out there and just take it from him. He’s the number one contender, he’s next in line for the title. I’m going out there to steal it, I’m going out to tie this guy up.”
Hooker has stated that he wanted the toughest possible path to a title shot. Now that Tsarukyan is ranked No. 1 in the division, and with “The Hangman” coming off a Fight of the Night win over Mateusz Gamrot, he may have figured it out.
However, that Gamrot battle took place over a year ago. Now Hooker wants to show some improvements to his game. “It’s only because of injuries that I haven’t been able to show them. But I’m still in the gym trying to get better and close gaps, for sure,” he added.
With a win over Tsarukyan this Saturday, Dan Hooker believes he will earn that title shot. The question is: for which title? There’s the lightweight title, held by Ilia Topuria, and the BMF title, held by Max Holloway. Both are former featherweights who now compete at 155 pounds.
“I completely forgot about the BMF!” exclaimed Hooker, serious or not. “Obviously you raise your arm against Arman, you get a title shot. That’s the great thing about there being two titles in that division. I beat Arman, I can walk in and fight for the undisputed title or the BMF title. But it’ll be one of those fights.”
Of course, with the latest rankings update, Paddy Pimblett is now in the top five of the UFC’s lightweight division. Which left Hooker wondering who the undisputed lightweight title would go to. “How? They have to give it to him.” [Pimblett] a title shot. They have to pick him a title contender,” he said. As for the rankings, he doesn’t put too much faith in it. “It is what it is. They’re just numbers.”
Watch Dan Hooker’s full UFC Qatar media day appearance above.
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