It is a life or demise scenario for Arman Tsarukyan at UFC Qatar.
On a four-fight win streak, Tsarukyan has already secured the highest spot within the light-weight rankings and is gearing up for a matchup with newly minted 155-pound titleholder Ilya Topria. However a failure on this Saturday’s headliner struggle evening in opposition to Dan Hooker might spell catastrophe for a fighter who’s already the subsequent in line for all to see.
“This struggle means all the pieces to me,” Tsarukyan advised MMA Preventing. “If you happen to lose, you lose all the pieces. If you happen to win, you win all the pieces. For me, it is like a title struggle. It is 5 rounds, it is the primary occasion. I’ve to win and get a shot on the title. That is why I am so centered on this struggle.”
Tsarukyan already had a shot on the title when he challenged then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January. Nevertheless, Tsarukyan withdrew from the match with 36 hours remaining, citing a hip harm.
This withdrawal compelled the UFC to scramble for a substitute, in the end reshuffling the highest of the cardboard and selling Renato Moicano from the primary card to the primary occasion. Dana White did not like this. He argued that Tsarukyan wanted to “return to sq. one” earlier than getting one other probability.
In spite of everything, “The Hangman” is that drafting board.
Hooker enters the competition as a major underdog, however that does not actually matter to the rising light-weight sensation lately.
Hooker comes into this contest on a three-fight successful streak, together with back-to-back cut up selections over Jalin Turner and Mateusz Gamrot. If he can pull off one other upset in Doha, he might possible leap over the road and set the stage for his first UFC title struggle, additional delaying Tsarukyan’s long-awaited shot.
