Arman Tsarukyan underlined his status as the top title contender in the UFC Lightweight division after an impressive second-round submission win over Dan ‘The Hangman’ Hooker in the main event of a Fight Night at the ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar, on the evening of Saturday 22 November 2025.
Arman Tsarukyan’s resume continues to impress! 😤#UFCQatar | LIVE on TNT Sports & discovery+ pic.twitter.com/YnNqrngM4y
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) November 22, 2025
Tsarukyan and Hooker had heated exchanges in the build-up to the match, but ultimately the Armenian was the dominant force thanks to his quick-fire striking and superior grappling-wrestling skill – forcing a tap from Hooker at 3:34 in the second round with an arm-triangle choke.
“Thanks to Dan, he was the only guy who wanted to fight me,” said Tsarukyan. “Everybody knows I’ve got to fight for the title [against Ilia Topuria]. Nobody can stop me in the cage. I’m the best in the world and I’m going to be a champion.”
In the co-main event, Ian Machado Garry continued his rise to prominence in the welterweight division, securing a unanimous decision win over former champion Belal Muhammad.
#UFCQatar Arman Tsarukyan lifted Khamzat on his shoulder after the win🥊😅
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) November 22, 2025
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“There’s a reason why he was the world champion, why he hasn’t been stopped in nine years,” said Garry. “He’s a tough guy.”
The Irishman went on to call out new welterweight champion Islam Makhachev: “You have a duty to defend that title against the best welterweight in the world, and you’re looking at him.”
The rest of the main card saw Kyoji Horiguchi submit Tagir Ulanbekov in the flyweight opener; Waldo Cortes-Acosta made quick work of Shamil Gaziev in the heavyweight division; as did Myktybek Orolbai over Jack Hermansson at welterweight; and Volkan Oezdemir stopped Alonzo Menifield in the first round of their light heavyweight bout.
The next Ultimate Fighting Championship event will be UFC 323 in Las Vegas on the morning of Sunday 7 December, headlined by Bantamweight and Flyweight Championship matches in which Merab Dvalishvili and Alexandre Pantoja will defend against Petr Yan and Joshua Van respectively.
UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan v Hooker – Main card results
- Main event: Lightweight: Arman Tsarukyan def. Dan Hooker via submission (arm-triangle choke), R2, 3:34.
- Welterweight: Ian Machado Garry def. Belal Muhammad via unanimous decision (30-27 30-27 29-28), R3, 5:00
- Light heavyweight: Volkan Oezdemir def. Alonzo Menifield via KO (punches), R1, 1:27
- Welterweight: Myktybek Orolbai def. Jack Hermansson via KO (punch), R1, 2:46
- Heavyweight: Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Shamil Gaziev via KO (punch), R1, 1:22
- Flyweight: Kyoji Horiguchi def. Tagir Ulanbekov via technical submission (rear-naked choke), R3, 2:18