“Kick his head off his shoulders” Dan Hooker reveals UFC Qatar game plan for Arman Tsarukyan

Dan Hooker has a pretty simple blueprint for his Arman Tsarukyan fight at UFC Qatar. This huge matchup at lightweight will headline the UFC Fight Night offering that will take place on November 22nd. In conversation with Nolan King from MMA junkieHooker delved into multiple topics related to this fight, raising the obvious question and focusing on what his approach to Tsarukyan would be.

While he was endearingly candid about his overview of this potential lightweight title eliminator fightsaid Hooker,

“I think I’m going to kick his head off his shoulders. I think that’s how it’s going to be done. I think a lot of people are going to be shocked on Saturday and I can’t wait. I can’t wait for it.”

“I don’t think there’s any real secret there. He’s holding me down and holding me down on the deck, brother. I don’t think there’s any real secret about where our strengths are in this area. I feel like if we’re at long range or even in that mid-range of the strike, I think I’d tear him apart. He’ll be trying to close the distance and not engage with me and just be looking to get some control time and run out the clock a little bit. That’s what he’ll be in keep an eye on it.”

Dan Hooker isn’t excited about Paddy Pimblett or Justin Gaethje’s title presentations

Dan Hooker is in the mix at lightweight in a big way and recently threw cold water on the suitcases of two other major players in the running for a title shot at 155 pounds. Many anticipate Pimblett will be in the running given the long saga that has unfolded with reigning lightweight champion Ilia Topuria during their feud over the years.

At the UFC Qatar media day, Hooker decried Pimblett’s rise up the rankings even more than his initial progress up the hierarchy when Pimblett defeated Michael Chandler in April. Hooker also took aim at Gaethje’s methodology in saying he will retire from MMA if he doesn’t make another attempt at UFC lightweight gold in his next outing. Dan Hooker preferred his own approach here, namely emphatically beating the best man in the weight category you specified to finally get your chance, which he will have the opportunity to do on Saturday.