Dan Hooker has made it clear that he wants to face Arman Tsarukyan once he recovers from hand surgery performed in March, emphasizing that no other fighters are stepping up for the bout. Known as “The Hangman,” Hooker seeks this fight to position himself as a credible title challenger for current lightweight champion Ilia Topuria.
Hooker is currently focusing on recovery but expressed his intentions during an interview with Submission Radio, where he outlined his perspective on the lightweight division’s future and why a fight with Tsarukyan makes strategic sense.
Hooker’s View on Lightweight Division Dynamics
Hooker assessed how the division is likely to evolve, mentioning key names and potential matchups in the near term. He noted that Max Holloway may have one more fight left before possibly rematching Ilia Topuria. He added that Islam Makhachev is moving up to welterweight and that Topuria is expected to fight Justin Gaethje for the title.
Hooker highlighted that Holloway is unlikely to face Tsarukyan, and other top contenders are avoiding the fight. He stated,
“Probably [Max Holloway’s] got one more I think [before rematching Topuria],”
Hooker said.
Obviously, [Islam Makhachev’s] going up to welterweight. Ilia will probably fight [Justin] Gaethje. That leaves Holloway, and Holloway ain’t going to fight Arman, no one wants to see that. Holloway will probably fight [Charles] Oliveira, Gaethje will fight for the title, and then that leaves my man Arman, that’s the fight I want. That’s the fight that makes sense.
He further pointed out the reluctance of Tsarukyan’s potential opponents, mentioning Rank 1 contender Mateusz Gamrot and Ilia Topuria as examples. Hooker said,
“They told him one more. He’s turned down [Mateusz] Gamrot, who’s ranked one before me. Let’s be honest, [Tsarukyan’s] a walking bag of sand, but he is a very good fighter and now all those big name guys, they’ve got a good excuse to not fight him. Ilia said he’s not going to fight him. The UFC says that he needs one more. And between Arman and me, there’s Oliveira, they’ve already had that fight. … [Tsarukyan’s] stuck fighting me. He’s got to fight me to get back in the mix and to get a title shot.”
Current Win Streaks and Championship Prospects
Both fighters have been on winning streaks, though their positions as genuine contenders remain uncertain. Hooker won a split decision over Mateusz Gamrot in a Fight of the Night performance but has been inactive since August due to surgery. Tsarukyan’s path has been more complicated: he was scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 311 in January but withdrew due to a back injury a day before the event.
This setback means Tsarukyan likely needs a significant win to reestablish himself as a title challenger, making a fight with Hooker even more critical in the division’s landscape.
Hooker Explains His Motivation to Fight Tsarukyan
Despite tensions, Hooker insists that his desire to face Tsarukyan is professional rather than personal. He acknowledges the challenges in finding opponents willing to take the fight due to Tsarukyan’s style and winning consistency. Hooker remarked,
“That’s always the fight I want and not because he’s a prick and I hate him, but because I genuinely that he’s the hardest fight and all those big name guys have an excuse to not fight him because I think he is the best at winning fights,”
he said.
He’s not necessarily the most dangerous fighter—Oliveira is very dangerous, Gaethje is very dangerous—I think he’s the best at winning fights and so a lot of these guys have a justifiable reason to avoid fighting him and so that’s been my approach since I first stepped foot in the UFC is that I want to fight the best guys. I think Arman’s the best guy, so that’s the fight that I want and that’s the fight that I think they’re going to make happen.
Social Media Callouts and Heated Exchanges
Although Hooker respects Tsarukyan as a fighter, his social media messages have taken a more confrontational turn. Hooker recently issued public challenges to both Charles Oliveira and Tsarukyan, with his callout of Tsarukyan including harsh language. He stated,
“Someone wake up Charlie Olives and tell him we fighting in November,”
followed by a more aggressive remark targeting Tsarukyan.
Regarding this, Hooker explained,
“That was because of our last discussion,”
Hooker said.
He said, ‘On a side note…’ and he took shots at me out of nowhere. Bro, I’m the only one that’s going to fight you, you dumb f*ck. That’s the fight. I’m the only one that’s going to step up and fight the guy. Who else is going to fight the guy?”
Considerations for Fight Timing and Location
Hooker also addressed the potential timing and location of the fight, revealing that the bout was once considered for UFC Perth but was postponed due to his hand recovery. He said,
“I just like the sound of that New York card. Obviously, it would have been cool to fight in Perth and to go back to Perth and to headline with Arman in Perth, but it would have been just eight weeks. New York is 16 weeks. Would have been a bit of a rush for the hand to be good and ready [for UFC Perth], but I still was going to do it because I wanted to do it for the fans and do it for the UFC and I would have rushed back and I would have fought early and I would have fought when the hand wasn’t ready and I would have fought still kind of recovering from that injury.”
This statement highlights Hooker’s determination to compete despite injury, underlining his eagerness to face Tsarukyan as soon as possible.
Potential Impact on the Lightweight Title Picture
The fight between Hooker and Tsarukyan carries significant implications for the UFC lightweight division. With Makhachev moving up a weight class and Topuria set to defend his title against Gaethje, the matchup could determine the next contender in line. Hooker’s insistence that he is the only fighter willing to face Tsarukyan underlines the division’s shift and the difficulty in securing top-level fights despite the stakes.
Should the fight be arranged and produce a definitive winner, it could realign the rankings and set up the next title challenger, ultimately influencing how the lightweight division progresses over the upcoming year.