Arman Tsarukyan Wins Against Dan Hooker at UFC Fight Night 265
Arman Tsarukyan, the number one ranked lightweight in the UFC, secured a victory over New Zealander Dan Hooker, ranked number six, in the main event of the UFC Fight Night 265 tournament held on November 22 in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Arman Tsarukyan achieved victory in the second round by landing heavy strikes to Hooker’s head, followed by applying a submission choke.
Immediately after the fight, Arman Tsarukyan addressed the UFC Lightweight Champion Ilia Topuria directly from the octagon:
“There is only one contender… Ilia, where are you? If you are here, come out. Don’t take easy fights. Come fight me. I must fight for the championship belt. I will be ready by the end of January; send the contract. I will definitely become the champion and break all UFC records.”
At the same time, Tsarukyan thanked his previous opponent:
“Thank you, Dan. Thanks to him, I had a fight this year. Nobody else was available.”
This victory effectively grants Tsarukyan the right to challenge for the UFC Lightweight Championship belt. In all likelihood, the athlete will receive a title fight against the reigning champion, Ilia Topuria.
It is worth noting that prominent Armenian athletes traveled to Doha to support Arman Tsarukyan, including Olympic Champion Artur Aleksanyan, and World Champions Malkhas Amoyan and Arsen Harutyunyan.