Top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan wasn’t part of the festivities at UFC 324 last weekend, but he remains a fixture in the division’s title picture.
Tsarukyan watched the cage as Justin Gaethje reclaimed the UFC interim lightweight title last Saturday by defeating Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324. Gaethje, 38, became the oldest UFC lightweight to win a title in the promotion’s illustrious history, handing Pimblett his first UFC defeat.
Many fans and pundits believed that Tsarukyan deserved a shot at the interim lightweight title over Pimblett last Saturday. Tsarukyan last submitted Dan Hooker to UFC Qatar last year to extend his ongoing win streak.
Just hours before Tsarukyan defeated Hooker, the two lightweights were involved in a pre-fight scuffle at the ceremonial weigh-in. Tsarukyan headbutted Hooker as they faced each other on stage, leading to UFC CEO Dana White’s rejection of Tsarukyan after another title shot.
But Tsarukyan’s headbutt caused serious damage not only to his own title hopes, but also to Hooker’s performance in their fight.
Dan Hooker suffered a broken nose in a headbutt, causing the UFC to deny Arman Tsarukyan a title shot
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani ShowHooker revealed that he had suffered a broken nose thanks to Tsarukyan just hours before their fight.
“When this cf– headbutted me at the weigh-in and broke my nose, it immediately pissed me off. But it’s like you can’t get emotional at this stage of the fight,” Hooker said.
“Obviously, mate, I was smoking. I wanted that back, but you just have to shake it off, you have to keep that in the back of your mind, but yeah, I was smoking, man. That definitely threw me off. They scanned me after the fight, took me to hospital and said I had a broken nose. It had nothing to do with the fight – I had to be medically cleared for this fight, but I just flat out refused [LAUGHS].
“The broken nose didn’t bother me [in the fight]not something physical, but more mental,” Hooker continued. “I get a one-up for the fight…but kudos to him, he got it.”
Hooker will return to the Octagon this weekend at UFC 325 against knockout artist Benoit Saint-Denis.
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