Rashad Evans can see Arman Tsarukyan having success wherever the fight goes against Dan Hooker.
Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) takes on Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 265 main event on Nov. 22 at ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar (ESPN+). UFC CEO Dana White said the pivotal lightweight clash will be a No. 1 contender bout.
Hooker showed his ability to handle a grapple-heavy approach by outlasting Mateusz Gamrot in a bloody battle at UFC 305. However, Evans thinks Tsarukyan may be too well-rounded.
“Dan Hooker, you talk about must-see TV,” Evans told ESPN MMA. “Dan Hooker is somebody to watch. He’s got great standup, but he’s just so game, and he showed in his fight against Gamrot that he can handle the wrestling pressure.
“But Arman Tsarukyan is somebody that is absolutely different because he has excellent standup, he has amazing kicks and he is so well-rounded all over the place. There’s not a place he can’t win the fight, so this is going to be an amazing matchup.”
Evans did acknowledge Hooker’s grit, which could play a factor.
“He’s not afraid to go to that place where others be like, ‘You know what, this is not safe anymore,'” Evans said. “Dan Hooker will go right through that.”
