The UFC was in Qatar for the first time on Saturday for a solid UFC Qatar card. In the main event, a pivotal lightweight bout went down as Arman Tsarukyan took on Dan Hooker in a potential No. 1 contender fight.
Entering the bout, Tsarukyan was ending his year-and-a-half-long layoff after beating Charles Oliveira. Hooker, meanwhile, was on a three-fight winning streak and was coming off a split decision win over Mateusz Gamrot.
Ultimately, it was Tsarukyan who won by second-round submission in a dominant performance. Following UFC Qatar, here is what I think should be next for the stars of the event.
Arman Tsarukyan
Arman Tsarukyan was looking to cement himself as the No. 1 contender at UFC Qatar on Saturday as he was a sizable betting favorite. Tsarukyan was dominant as he was able to take Hooker down and inflict heavy damage before getting a second-round submission win.
With the win, Tsarukyan is back in the title picture. Ilia Topuria should face Paddy Pimblett in early 2025, so Tsarukyan can wait and face the winner, likely at International Fight Week. Tsarukyan’s next fight should be for the belt, regardless of who it is against.
Dan Hooker
Dan Hooker stepped up in competition at UFC Qatar in hopes of becoming a true title contender. Yet, Hooker was dominated as Tsarukyan’s wrestling proved to be the difference. Hooker was dominated until he was forced to tap due to an arm-triangle choke. With the loss, Hooker fell to 24-13 as a pro and had his three-fight winning streak snapped.
Following the dominant loss, Hooker admitted he likely will never win a UFC title, but he still wants to continue fighting. Hooker should be in fan-friendly fights from here on out. Although the Justin Gaethje fight makes a lot of sense, Gaethje has said he will only fight for the belt next. So, a fight against Renato Moicano would be fun, as they could open up a pay-per-view in what would be a fun fight for however long it lasts.