Arman Tsarukyan breaks silence on ongoing feud with Dan Hooker, labels 'The Hangman' "easy money"
In a recent appearance on the JAXXON PODCAST, Arman Tsarukyan shared his thoughts on his heated rivalry with Dan Hooker. The two lightweights have never actually crossed swords inside the octagon. However, that hasn't stopped both men from chirping at each other.
This is especially true for Hooker, who is known for being a trash-talker. Hooker has even aimed at fighters who he will never face, including fighters who compete in divisions he will never make jump to. So, when asked by the podcast's co-host why Hooker targets him, Tsarukyan said:
"I have no idea. No, we are not friends. Yeah a little bit [we are having beef]. No, we're just talking, because I know when we're gonna be in one room, we're gonna sit like this, he's gonna shut up and just listen to me. Because I know these people, they can just talk on the internet, but when they're one on one, they're scared."
When asked by former UFC action fighter Jason 'Mayhem' Miller for his thoughts on a possible bout with Hooker, Tsarukyan was dismissive, saying:
"I'll go in there to play. Just easy money. It's easy money, but if I beat him. The fight makes no sense for me. I don't need money right now, I need the belt. If I beat him, people will say I beat top 10 or I don't know what his number [is]. It makes no sense, the fight."
Check out Arman Tsarukyan's thoughts on Dan Hooker (41:22):
Despite Hooker's relentless trash talk, Tsarukyan appears to be taking his rival's remarks with a nonchalant attitude. Ultimately, he sees no reason to fight Hooker, who is ranked too far below him. He only wants a lightweight title fight with Islam Makhachev, whom he was set to face at UFC 311 before injuring his back.
Dan Hooker has taunted Arman Tsarukyan over his UFC 311 withdrawal
Arman Tsarukyan's coach has been open about his issues with back injuries ahead of UFC 311. However, many in the MMA fandom believe that he injured his back doing bizarre stretches in a failed bid to impress UFC content creator Nina-Marie Daniele.
Naturally, Dan Hooker took the time to poke fun at his rival over it. He wrote on X:
"I broke my hand preparing for a fight, you hurt your back creeping on @ninamdrama"
Tsarukyan's decision to withdraw from UFC 311 last-minute did not sit well with the UFC, with Dana White subsequently revealing that he would not be granting him an immediate crack at the lightweight belt upon his return.