TLDR
- Dan Hooker was submitted by Arman Tsarukyan in round two at UFC Qatar on November 22
- Hooker confirmed his nose was broken from Tsarukyan’s headbutt at the weigh-in, not during the fight
- He admitted he forgot Charles Oliveira couldn’t guillotine Tsarukyan before attempting the same submission twice
- Hooker accepts he will never win a UFC title and plans to “ruin as many people’s hopes and dreams” as possible
- Despite the loss ending his three-fight win streak, Hooker has no regrets about taking the fight
Dan Hooker left UFC Qatar with a broken nose and a submission loss, but the lightweight veteran maintained his sense of humor throughout. The 34-year-old fighter spoke with The Mac Life after his second-round defeat to Arman Tsarukyan on November 22.
When asked about his condition, Hooker revealed he went to the hospital for scans after the fight. Doctors told him his nose was broken. He quickly clarified the injury came from Tsarukyan’s headbutt at the weigh-in ceremony, not from the actual fight.
The weigh-in incident set the tone for a tense fight week. Both fighters exchanged trash talk leading up to the bout. The animosity appeared genuine as the situation escalated.
Inside the octagon, Hooker started well by defending Tsarukyan’s early takedown attempts. However, the Armenian fighter eventually secured top position and began landing strikes. Blood started flowing as Tsarukyan maintained control.
Submission Attempts Backfire
Hooker attempted guillotine chokes in both rounds despite Charles Oliveira failing to submit Tsarukyan with the same technique at UFC 300. Oliveira holds the record for most submission wins in UFC history. When asked about his decision, Hooker admitted he forgot about Oliveira’s unsuccessful attempt.
The second guillotine attempt particularly surprised Hooker when Tsarukyan escaped with an athletic reversal. “He did a back flip out of it and I was like, ‘What?!'” Hooker said. The escape left him in a worse position.
Tsarukyan accumulated over six minutes of control time before securing the finish. He trapped Hooker in an arm triangle choke midway through the second round. This marked only the second time Hooker has been submitted in the UFC.
His first UFC submission loss came against Islam Makhachev in 2021 via kimura. The defeat to Tsarukyan ended Hooker’s three-fight winning streak.
New Career Direction
Hooker spoke candidly about his future following the loss. He acknowledged he will never become UFC champion. The admission came without bitterness or excuses.
Instead of retirement, Hooker announced a new goal for his career. He plans to remain in the lightweight division as long as possible. His stated mission is to derail the title hopes of rising contenders.
“If I can’t have nice things, no one can,” Hooker explained. The statement reflected his gatekeeper mentality moving forward. He accepts his role as a dangerous test for fighters climbing the rankings.
Hooker expressed no regrets about accepting the fight with Tsarukyan. He noted that no other lightweight contenders wanted to face the number one ranked fighter. The division needed movement with a champion who wasn’t actively defending.
“We had fun,” Hooker said about the heated build-up to the fight. He wouldn’t take back any of the trash talk or confrontations. The two fighters showed mutual respect after the bout concluded.
Tsarukyan called out featherweight champion Ilia Topuria immediately after the victory. He expressed interest in fighting for a title as early as late January 2025.
