Armenia’s Arman Tsarukyan was denied title fight for headbutting Dan Hooker in the face, UFC president says
13:54 9 January, 2026Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White has explained why Arman Tsarukyan (Armenia), the No.1-ranked title contender in the UFC lightweight division, was denied a title fight.
This decision was made due to a number of circumstances. One of the reasons was Arman Tsarukyan’s headbutting Dan Hooker in the face during the staredown. When selecting title contenders, various circumstances are important for the UFC, including the fighter’s conduct, which also plays a role, White said in an interview with Spinnin Backfist.
After his win against No.6-ranked title contender Dan Hooker (New Zealand), Arman Tsarukyan was expected to get a chance for a title fight, but the UFC lightweight division titleholder, Ilia Topuria (Spain), had announced that he would not fight for about six months due to family issues.
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