“I don’t like Hooker as a person. I think he’s rotten, I just want to punch him in the face.” Arman Tsarukyan didn’t mince words when talking about his upcoming opponent, Dan Hooker. The tension between the two is palpable, and as they prepare to headline UFC Qatar, the stakes couldn’t be higher. A win here could potentially earn the Armenian a long-awaited title shot.

Originally, Tsarukyan was scheduled to face Islam Makhachev, but a back injury forced him out. Makhachev submitted late replacement Renato Moicano before moving up to welterweight. Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria captured the lightweight crown in June and now awaits his first title defense—a spot Tsarukyan could claim with an impressive win over Hooker. But can he get it done? His former opponent, Beneil Dariush, has an interesting take on that.

Beneil Dariush underscores one way Dan Hooker can cause problems for Tsarukyan

Speaking to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, the American southpaw offered his prediction for the clash. “Yes, I do think he beats Dan Hooker, and I think he could do it very dominantly,” Beneil Dariush said confidently. Still, Dariush believes the fight could shift if Hooker manages one crucial thing—not losing the early rounds. “But five-round fight, I got to tell you, man, Dan Hooker is a dog. He doesn’t have to win the first two rounds,” he said.

“But if he just does well in the first two rounds, that’ll be a really interesting fight,” he added. But what does “well” actually mean? Hooker is known for early aggression, yet he’s been finished in round one by the likes of Islam Makhachev, Arnold Allen, and Michael Chandler. Beneil clarified during the interview, “What I mean by ‘well’ is keeping the fight close and making Arman work.” If Hooker can do that, the Kings MMA fighter reckons the matchup will be “interesting to watch.”

Dariush’s view carries extra weight—Tsarukyan knocked him out in the first round back in 2023. But the Armenian is nonetheless a grinder whose bouts often go the distance and usually end in his favor. Even Hooker’s last outing, a split-decision win over Mateusz Gamrot, was razor-thin, suggesting that trying to outhustle Tsarukyan early might be a risky game plan. 

So the real question remains: what will Dan Hooker actually do when the cage door closes in Qatar?

‘The Hangman’ Hooker wants to make Arman Tsarukyan look ‘like an idiot’

The 35-year-old is brimming with confidence ahead of his UFC Qatar fight, as he warned his upcoming opponent. The New Zealander feels the pressure is entirely on Arman Tsarukyan, who’s viewed as a future title contender, while he plans to turn expectations upside down. “This fight excites me because they feel like Arman is a lot better than I am,” Hooker told Sky Sports.

“It’s like, anything good that I do, Arman is going to start to look more like an idiot.” Hooker added that Tsarukyan has been painted as “this super-freak athlete, title contender, the guy to beat Ilia Topuria,” but insists he’ll expose his opponent’s vulnerabilities. “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,” he said. “Anything that I do starts to make him look more and more human.”

It appears Dan Hooker has his game plan ready. However, whether he can execute it perfectly is yet to be seen, something that will be difficult for sure. Do you think it’s possible, though?