"I think he's a pr*ck" - Dan Hooker goes ballistic on "spoiled rich kid" Arman Tsarukyan ahead of UFC Qatar clash

It appears Dan Hooker has no love for Arman Tsarukyan. 'The Hangman' recently shared his honest thoughts on the Georgian-born fighter and labeled him a "spoiled rich kid" ahead of their upcoming showdown.

Hooker and Tsarukyan are set to throw down in an exciting lightweight clash at UFC Qatar next month. Ahead of their fight, both men have made it clear that there's no love lost between them and have been trading verbal shots via social media over the past few weeks.

Ahead of their upcoming fight, Hooker shared his thoughts on Tsarukyan and slammed the Georgian-born fighter for discrediting him. In an interview with Combat TV, Hooker said:

"I think he's a pr*ck. He’s just been chiming at me since he first got into the UFC, and I’m just not... I’ll chime back. He discredits me as a fighter; he says that I turn him down and run away from him... He’s a spoiled little rich kid who’s had everything handed to him. I’m just the complete opposite of that. I’ve taken everything that I have. I’ve worked hard. I come out of nothing... Money can’t help you beat Dan Hooker."

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Dan Hooker explains wanting to fight Arman Tsarukyan ahead of UFC Qatar

Dan Hooker recently explained why he was eager to face Arman Tsarukyan next. The New Zealander claimed that he knew that no other lightweight would be willing to take on Tsarukyan and stated that he was eager to face his "toughest" test.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Hooker got honest about pursuing the Tsarukyan clash and said:

"I knew that absolutely no one wants to fight the guy. I know that no one wants to take that risk. Everyone does have a reason to avoid him as well, with the weight miss and things like that... I knew he had to fight to get back into title contention."

He continued:

"So I knew that this fight, I would be the only person who would want the most difficult fight. I don’t discredit the other guys for picking their battles and trying to find the path of least resistance. That’s just not the way that I do things. He’s the toughest test. He’s the best fighter in the division."

About the author

Nishant brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his MMA reporting for Sportskeeda. During his 1.5 years with the organization and previous work, Nishant has established himself as a prolific writer in the MMA community. With a Bachelor's degree in Media and Journalism and a Master's degree in International Relations, Nishant's educational background enhances his analytical and reporting skills.

Nishant admires UFC legend Georges St-Pierre for his dominance and exemplary conduct inside and outside the cage. The monumental UFC 229 event, headlined by a grudge match between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, captivated Nishant and solidified his passion for MMA.

Nishant focuses on delivering high-quality content by giving attention to detail, and rigorous fact-checking via multiple layers. His dedication is evident in his achievement of publishing over 1.7K articles and accumulating 4.4 million reads in less than two years.

Nishant feels that it is only a matter of time that MMA takes over Boxing as the no.1 combat sport. Beyond MMA, his interests include philosophy, music exploration, and wildlife photography.

Know More