UFC Qatar: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker full card, odds

The UFC's final event in November is a big one. It's the third-to-last UFC event this year, and the top two fights that round out the card are Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dan Hooker at lightweight and former UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad (24-4, 1 NC MMA) opposite Ian Machado Garry (16-1 MMA) in the co-headliner.

Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA) was initially slated to fight former UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev when Makhachev was still champion in January. A back injury sidelined Tsarukyan, as the UFC opted to go in a different direction after Makhachev eventually vacated his title to move up to welterweight.

With Ilia Topuria becoming the UFC Lightweight Champion at UFC 317 in June, it puts Tsarukyan back in a similar position: needing a win over someone with the caliber of Hooker (24-12 MMA) Saturday afternoon.

“He's trying to find excuses like, ‘I'm underdog [with] nothing to lose,’” Tsarukyan told UFC.com. “He came here to make money, but I came here to be a contender number one and to show everybody I deserve to fight for the title. We have a different goal.”

Meanwhile, Hooker said he is confident he can pull off the upset.

“I got the fight by telling the matchmakers, 'Please let me get rid of this guy,'” Hooker told MMAFighting.com.“I said, 'Please let me smash Arman’s face and get him out of the way.' Next thing, I walked into the fight. So my prayers have been answered.”

Nonetheless, both men will have five rounds if needed to settle their beef.

“I don’t think it’s just talk,” Hooker said. “I don’t even like to say in this situation I’ll do this. I feel like he’s just a mouthy little rich p*ick and I’m just not a person that backs down. That’s just the situation we’re in."

When Is UFC Qatar?