Dan Hooker scoffs at Paddy Pimblett beating Ilia Topuria but likes his chances against UFC lightweight champ
Dan Hooker isn’t looking ahead, but it’s impossible for him to ignore what happens next if he gets through Arman Tsarukyan on Saturday in the UFC Qatar main event.
UFC CEO Dana White already touted the fight as a No. 1 contender’s bout, and while nothing is guaranteed until contracts are signed, Hooker appreciates that the stakes were defined before he ever set foot in the octagon.
“I kind of expected it, and that’s why I want this fight and asked for this fight, pretty much begged the UFC to give me a shot to take Arman Tsarukyan out of the way,” Hooker told MMA Fighting. “It was cool. I like the way that Dana answered it, that he was almost pissed off.
“It’s always good when the boss answers things, and he’s almost pissed off that someone even asked the question. He answered that like it was obvious this was going to be the No. 1 contender [fight].”
A win over Tsarukyan might guarantee that Hooker gets a title shot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s next in line.
New UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria won the title with a dramatic knockout over Charles Oliveira in June, but hasn’t fought since then. Rumors are swirling that Topuria could be part of the UFC’s plans to launch a new broadcast deal with Paramount at the start of 2026, which means his first defense could come as early as January.
While nothing is a done deal yet, all signs are pointing towards a showdown between Topuria and longtime rival Paddy Pimblett after he dusted off Michael Chandler in his most recent win to move to 7-0 in the UFC. Based on overall rankings and accomplishments, Pimblett may not deserve the title shot, but the animosity he shares with Topuria, combined with their shared star power, makes that an easy fight to sell.
But does Pimblett actually have a realistic shot at dethroning Topuria?
“No,” Hooker said with a laugh when asked for his assessment on that potential fight. “Long and short of it, I don’t see that happening.”
He may not give Pimblett much of a chance at beating Topuria, but Hooker can’t wait to get his own opportunity at the UFC lightweight champion.
Unlike some fighters taking aim at Topuria lately, Hooker doesn’t have anything disparaging to say about him and the fast rise he made up the ranks by becoming featherweight champion and then conquering the lightweight division with his title fight win over Oliveira.
“Incredible streak. Incredible run at featherweight and then obviously coming up and doing what he did to Charles, he’s been on one heck of a streak,” Hooker said about Topuria. “Anyone wearing that belt, the contenders in the division have their eyes on and are hunting down and chasing. The future looks exciting.
“I feel like I match up well stylistically with Ilia. I feel like that’s a good fight, that’s an exciting fight. That’s obviously the fight that I want after this fight. So the UFC is going to do [Max] Holloway and Oliveira, that will probably end up being for the ‘BMF’ title, so the undisputed title, the door’s wide open for that. There’s a lot of movement in the division at the moment. It’s a very exciting time to get a No. 1 contender fight next to your name.”
Beyond holding onto the UFC lightweight title fight now, Topuria is undefeated and also becoming a legitimate superstar for the promotion. That makes any fight against him that much bigger, and Hooker sees the attraction in a matchup like that.
Add to that, as unbeatable as Topuria has looked since first arriving in the UFC, Hooker knows everybody can be beaten, and he just wants his chance to prove it.
“That’s obviously sweet to put an ‘O’ next to someone’s name and to stop just the incredible run that he’s on,” Hooker said. “Everyone can’t be beat, but you get experienced enough in this game, I’m long enough in the tooth to say that’s all just mystique and hype and the promotional side of things. I know that everyone bleeds. Everyone gets tired. On any one night, any man can win.”
Hooker loves the idea of fighting Topuria next, but none of that happens if he doesn’t get through Tsarukyan first at UFC Qatar.
“It’s a fight that I like,” Hooker said. “I feel like I have more tools on the feet, I’m versatile, but you’ve got to just take it one fight at a time. I’ve got a huge test in front of me in Arman Tsarukyan.
“I feel like he is the best in the division, it is the hardest fight, and that’s why I want this fight. My focus is definitely on Arman at the moment.”
