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Brett Okamoto
A lightweight matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker will headline UFC Fight Night on Nov. 22 in Qatar, UFC CEO Dana White announced Wednesday.
Additionally, former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad will face Irish contender Ian Machado Garry in the co-main event.
The UFC Fight Night takes place in Al Rayyan, Qatar, and is the promotion’s first event in the region. The UFC announced a deal to bring an event to Qatar back in July.
Tsarukyan (22-3) had hoped to challenge Ilia Topuria for the UFC’s lightweight championship, but will now need to solidify his first UFC title shot with a win over Hooker (24-12). Tsarukyan had been in a three-horse race for the 155-pound title shot, along with Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.
The UFC has not yet announced what is next for Topuria.
Muhammad (24-4) will be making his first appearance since he surrendered his 170-pound title to Jack Della Maddalena in May.
The 37-year-old had campaigned for a matchup against former champion Kamaru Usman, but will face Garry instead. Garry (16-1) is knocking on the door of his first title shot in the UFC, as he is 9-1 in the Octagon and coming off a crucial, five-round victory over Carlos Prates in April.