UFC Qatar: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dan Hooker, Belal Muhammad vs. Ian Machado Garry headline November event

Lightweights Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker will headline UFC’s trip to Qatar on Nov. 22, UFC CEO Dana White announced Wednesday. In addition to Tsarukyan vs. Hooker, White confirmed a co-main event battle between former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and rising contender Ian Machado Garry.

Tsarukyan is currently the No. 2-ranked lightweight in the official UFC rankings. Since dropping a decision to Mateusz Gamrot in June 2022, Tsarukyan has rattled off four consecutive wins, including notable victories over Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira.

The win over Oliveira had earned Tsarukyan a title shot against Islam Makhachev, who spoiled Tsarukyan’s Octagon debut in 2019, at UFC 311 this past January. Less than two days before the planned bout with Makhachev, Tsarukyan was forced out of the fight due to a back injury. Due to withdrawing from that fight, Tsarukyan has not competed in MMA since April 2024.

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Hooker, ranked No. 6, is coming off a similar layoff, having been out of action due to hand injuries since an August 2024 win over Mateusz Gamrot. The win over Gamrot was Hooker’s third in a row as he rebounded from a rough 1-4 stretch against elite competition.

Muhammad will be fighting for the first time since he lost the welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena in May. The loss snapped a 10-fight winning streak for Muhammad, who had captured the championship with a UFC 304 win over Leon Edwards.

In April, Garry defeated Carlos Prates to rebound from the first loss of his career, which came against Shavkat Rakhmonov in December.

The winner of Muhammad vs. Garry will have an argument for a title shot against the winner of the UFC 322 fight between Maddalena and Makhachev, who vacated his lightweight championship to move up in weight and challenge for the 170-pound title. That fight takes place one week prior to UFC Qatar.