Out of action since UFC 300 after he pulled out of a title fight this past January, Arman Tsarukyan finally returned in the main event of UFC Qatar, where he took on Dan Hooker.
Tsarukyan was to have faced Islam Makhachev at UFC 311, only to pull out of the fight during Fight Week due to a back injury. He would serve as the back-up fighter at UFC 317, but his services were not required.
Kicks were exchanged early and often between Tsarukyan and Hooker, who had featured in a tense weigh-off scene underscored by a headbutt by Tsarukyan during the final face-off. Just past a minute in, Arman clinched up, putting Hooker on the fence and looking for a way to take the taller man down. Hooker would escape, but ate a nasty knee to the head on exit. The New Zealand native then fanned on a head kick. Tsarukyan, meanwhile, was showing solid accuracy with his hands.
Near the midway mark, Hooker jumped a guillotine, but didn’t have it and wound up with Tsarukyan on top, in side control. In the final seconds of the round, still on top, Tsarukyan would sneak in some ground n’ pound, while sandpapering Hooker with his elbow.
Hooker was showing some swelling around one eye after the opening round, likely from the knee he ate midway through round one. And surprisingly, after it backfired in round one, Hooker again went after a guillotine, and again the outcome was Tsarukyan coming out on top. A nifty sequence, with Tsarukyan essentially doing an alligator roll to get top position.
This time, there was nearly four minutes on the clock. Tsarukyan had all the time in the world to work, and managed to mix in some heavy ground n’ pound, punches and elbows, while posturing up. Hooker covered up, and survived the initial barrage. Moving into half-guard came next for Tsarukyan, with mount tantalizingly close at hand. Instead, Arman locked up an arm-triangle choke, which, after a slight adjustment, was in tight, forcing Hooker to tap!
Already ranked #1 at 155lbs in the UFC, Arman Tsarukyan cemented his position at UFC Qatar.
Official Result: Arman Tsarukyan def. Dan Hooker by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 3:34
