Lightweight Dan Hooker admits that he and Arman Tsarukyan aren’t exactly the best of pals – they downright don’t like each other – but as their UFC Qatar main event draws closer, those hard feelings have taken a backseat to what really matters.
“Obviously we don’t like each other, but a lot of that is just fading away as we draw closer,” Hooker (24-12) stated during Wednesday’s media day, ahead of the promotion’s debut in Doha, Qatar. “I’m just excited for the event, I’m excited for the moment, I’m excited to get out there and just take it from him. He’s the number one contender, he’s the next in line for the title shot. I’m going out there to steal it, I’m going out there to rope this man.”
Hooker has stated that he wanted the toughest road possible to a title shot. With Tsarukyan ranked #1 in the division, and with “The Hangman” coming off a Fight of the Night win over Mateusz Gamrot, he may have got it.
That Gamrot fight, however, came over a year ago. Now Hooker is looking to display some improvements to his game. “Just due to injuries, I haven’t been able to showcase them. But I’ve still been in the gym getting better and plugging holes, definitely” he added.
With a win over Tsarukyan this Saturday, Dan Hooker believes he’ll earn that title shot. The question is, for which title? There’s the lightweight title, held by Ilia Topuria, and the BMF title, held by Max Holloway. Both are former featherweights competing at 155lbs these days.
“I completely forgot about the BMF!” exclaimed Hooker, serious or not. “Obviously you get your arm raised against Arman, you’re getting a title shot. That’s the beauty of there being two titles in that division. I beat Arman, I can walk in and fight for the undisputed or the BMF title. But it’ll be one of those fights.”
Of course, with the latest rankings update, Paddy Pimblett is now in the top five of the UFC’s lightweight division. Which had Hooker question who the undisputed lightweight title shot might go to next. “How? They must be giving him [Pimblett] a title shot. They must be cherry picking him a title shot,” he stated. As far as the rankings go, he’s not putting too much faith in them. “It is what it is. They’re just numbers.”
Watch the full UFC Qatar media day appearance by Dan Hooker above.
