“He was supposed to be the guy to beat Topuria”: UFC star’s “idiot” vow
Ahead of UFC Fight Night in Qatar, New Zealander Dan Hooker has fired a warning to Armenia’s Arman Tsarukyan.
The UFC lightweight title, currently held by Spanish-Georgian phenom Ilia Topuria, has become the most sought-after crown in mixed martial arts. As the reigning pound-for-pound king of the sport’s premier organization, Topuria is now the target of a growing list of contenders eager to test themselves against the best.
Who will fight Topuria next?
Since capturing the belt in June with a dominant win over Charles Oliveira, Topuria has seen challengers lining up. Among the most vocal are British star Paddy Pimblett and Armenian standout Arman Tsarukyan - two fighters who’ve made it clear they want a shot at the champ.
Tsarukyan, in particular, is looking to prove he’s ready for that high-stakes showdown. His upcoming bout against New Zealand’s Dan Hooker at UFC Fight Night in Qatar on November 22 could be the springboard that launches him into title contention. A win there would make a strong case for Tsarukyan as Topuria’s next opponent.
But Hooker has his own ambitions in the lightweight division. Currently ranked seventh, the Kiwi veteran sees this fight as a chance to climb the ladder and position himself for a title run.
“Tsarukyan is the path to the title”
Speaking to Sky Sports New Zealand this week, Hooker didn’t mince words: “Justin Gaethje is not that guy, Justin Gaethje doesn’t get me to that guy [the lightweight champion], Justin Gaethje just gets me a headache. Arman Tsarukyan is the path to the title. That’s the path to being the champ. That’s the path to being the best guy.”
“Arman is going to start to look more like an idiot”
Hooker also insists he’s entering the fight with zero pressure, confident that Tsarukyan’s mistakes will expose him. “This fight excites me because they feel like Arman is a lot better than I am,” the 35-year-old said.
“It’s like, anything good that I do, Arman is going to start to look more like an idiot. He was supposed to be this super-freak athlete, title contender, the guy to beat Ilia Topuria. They’re ‘hiding’ the champion from him - this is his story. And now he’s losing to Dan Hooker, the bloke from New Zealand who’s lost a third of his fights.”
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