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Arman Tsarukyan calls for Ilia Topuria fight after dominant UFC Qatar win

The first UFC event in Qatar closed out with a highly-anticipated lightweight contest.
Drew Beaupre|
(Zuffa LLC)

Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker both made their respective returns to the Octagon for a huge main event at UFC Qatar.

The UFC's first-ever event in Qatar took place at Doha's Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena and capped off a lengthy stretch of consecutive UFC cards before the promotion closes out its 2025 schedule with two events in December.

The night's main event between top-ranked contenders Tsarukyan and Hooker was an important matchup to help sort out the division's title picture, and it was Tsarukyan who solidified his place as the division's #1 contender with a second-round submission.

Arman Tsarukyan Forces Tap From Dan Hooker In UFC Qatar Headliner

Entering UFC Qatar on a four-fight win streak, Tsarukyan was famously set for a rematch with then-Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 but was forced out of the fight with a back injury on weigh-in day.

READ MORE: UFC Qatar free live stream results & highlights for Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dan Hooker

The UFC's #1-ranked lightweight contender won three grappling matches before he was finally booked for an Octagon return against Hooker, who came into the matchup riding the momentum of three-straight victories.

Lined as a significant favorite to get his hand raised against the #6-ranked Hooker, Tsarukyan spent less than a minute striking before he decided to shoot for his first takedown. That attempt was stifled before the two men returned to the cage, but Tsarukyan did end up in top position later in the round when "The Hangman" sat into a guillotine choke that his opponent quickly rolled out of.

Hooker came out for the second round sporting some visible damage to his left eye, and another early guillotine attempt was defended before Tsarukyan settled into his opponent's guard in the center of the Octagon. "Ahalkalakets" landed some nasty elbows before moving into mount, where he set up an arm triangle choke that forced a tap from Hooker.

Following the win, the 29-year-old immediately called for a title shot against Ilia Topuria, who claimed the vacant lightweight title by knocking out Tsarukyan's former foe Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.

READ MORE: UFC newcomer runs through opponent for record-setting finish at UFC Qatar

Tsarukyan vs. Hooker followed a UFC Qatar co-main event that saw Ian Machado Garry make his case for a welterweight title shot when he took a decision over Belal Muhammad, and the fans in Doha were treated to an action-packed main card that saw five of six fight ends inside the distance.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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