UFC Fight Night results, highlights: Arman Tsarukyan submits Dan Hooker, calls out Ilia Topuria

Arman Tsarukyan won't let anything stand between him and UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. Tsarukyan looked every bit the nearly seven-to-one favorite against Dan Hooker, submitting him inside two rounds at Saturday's UFC Fight Night in Qatar.

The UFC and its fans soured on Tsarukyan after pulling out of a lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev on 24 hours' notice earlier this year. Tsarukyan halfway redeemed himself with the promotion by weighing in as the back-up fighter for Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira, and seemingly completed his redemption arc by beating the lower ranked Hooker.

"He's the only guy who wanted to fight me," Tsarukyan said of Hooker in his post-fight interview. "Everyone else ran, especially Ilia. If you're here, come on, we need to face off. There's only one No. 1 contender, it's Arman Tsarukyan. Don't book an easy fight." 

Topuria, who was in Qatar cornering his brother, Aleksandre Topuria, on the undercard, did not accept Tsarukyan's face off. It's unclear if Topuria was cage side at the time, and if his absence was his decision or the UFC's.

For as impressive as Tsarukyan looked, Hooker did himself no favors. "The Hangman" needed the fight standing to stay competitive. However, he twice pulled guard on Tsarukyan, putting the fight in his opponent's wheelhouse. Hooker threatened a guillotine choke when Tsarukyan shot, a sensible tactic, but overcommitted on the submission attempts instead of using them to stop takedowns. 

Once on the ground, Tsarukyan was in full control. Tsarukyan walloped the veteran with ground strikes before submitting him with an arm triangle choke in Round 2.