Entering the fight, Tsarukyan ended his year-and-a-half layoff after defeating Charles Oliveira. Hooker, meanwhile, was on a three-fight winning streak and earned a split-decision win over Mateusz Gamrot.
Ultimately, it was Tsarukyan who won by second-round submission in a dominant performance. After UFC Qatar, this is what I think should be the next step for the stars of the event.
Arman Tsarukyan
Arman Tsarukyan looked to cement himself as the No. 1 contender at UFC Qatar on Saturday as he was a significant betting favorite. Tsarukyan was dominant as he was able to take down Hooker and deal heavy damage before scoring a second round victory.
The win puts Tsarukyan back in the title picture. Ilia Topuria should face Paddy Pimblett in early 2025 so Tsarukyan can wait and meet the winner, likely during International Fight Week. Tsarukyan’s next fight should be for the title, regardless of who he fights.
Then Hooker
Dan Hooker entered the competition at UFC Qatar in hopes of becoming a true title contender. Still, Hooker was dominated as Tsarukyan’s wrestling proved to be the difference. Hooker was dominated until he was forced to tap due to an arm-triangle choke. The loss dropped Hooker to 24-13 as a pro and snapped his three-fight winning streak.
After the dominant loss, Hooker admitted he will probably never win a UFC title, but he still wants to keep fighting. Hooker should be fighting fan-friendly fights from now on. While the fight with Justin Gaethje makes a lot of sense, Gaethje has said he will only fight for the belt after this. So a fight against Renato Moicano would be fun because they could open up a pay-per-view in what would be a fun fight no matter how long it lasts.
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