Hooker and Tsarukyan shared the Octagon at the Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena. The lightweight bout headlined UFC Qatar. In the second round, Tsarukyan dropped into an arm-triangle choke to force the tap.
Hooker has spoken The Mac life after his defeat, and he took the setback in stride (via MMA Junkie).
“It is what it is. There’s not much to tear down,” Hooker said. “I took a shot at the No. 1 (lightweight contender) in the world. Yeah, he’s good. What do you want me to say? … Swing big, miss big. … It didn’t play out. Now I know what to do.”
Hooker already has a potential opponent in mind sometime in 2026.
“I’m not going to hold the division back,” Hooker said. “I’m ready to fight ranked. Let’s go.” [Renato] Moicano – I would like to fight close to home, so Moicano in Sydney. … I think Moicano is a fun fight. I think we can have some fun too.”
Moicano is looking to get back in the win column, having gone winless in 2025. He stepped up at the last minute to challenge Islam Makhachev for the UFC Lightweight Championship in a losing effort in January. He tried to get back on the horse, but was defeated by Beneil Dariush by unanimous decision in June.
As for Hooker, his defeat to Tsarukyan ends his three-fight winning streak. “The Hangman” had not suffered a loss since March 2022.
Whether the UFC leadership will grant Hooker’s request to meet Moicano sometime next year remains to be seen. At the moment, Moicano doesn’t have a fight booked and with Hooker free, barring any medical issues, it could leave the door open for the matchmakers to make it happen.
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