Dan Hooker: Facing Arman Tsarukyan is My Path to Championship Glory

The seventh-ranked UFC lightweight fighter from New Zealand, **Dan Hooker**, elaborated on why he is pleased to face **Arman Tsarukyan** next. Their bout will headline UFC Fight Night 264 on November 22.

“Justin Gaethje isn’t the right opponent for me. He wouldn’t lead me to the title. Fighting Justin is just guaranteed to give me a headache. Arman Tsarukyan represents the path to the championship. He embodies the road to becoming a champion and being the best fighter out there.

I’m excited about this fight because everyone thinks he’s way better than I am. That’s exactly why I’m looking forward to our matchup. Any success I have will make him look foolish, especially since everyone claims he’s a super athlete, a title contender, and someone who should defeat Ilia Topuria – that he’s being held back from the champion. That’s his narrative. Now, imagine if he loses to Dan Hooker, the guy from New Zealand with a third of his fights being losses. I think he has a lot to prove in this matchup, and that puts him in a tough spot,” said Hooker in a video on the **Sky Sport NZ** YouTube channel.