The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
UFC Star Dan Hooker Claims Pre-Fight Headbutt Fractured His Nose
UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker has made a startling revelation about his November defeat to Arman Tsarukyan, claiming the Armenian fighter broke his nose with a pre-fight headbutt during their weigh-in confrontation.
The Controversial Weigh-In Incident
In November 2025, the UFC staged its inaugural event in Qatar, where Arman Tsarukyan secured a second-round submission victory over Dan Hooker. The Armenian fighter finished the New Zealander with an arm-triangle choke, cementing his position as the UFC's top-ranked lightweight contender while ending Hooker's promising three-fight win streak.
However, the real drama unfolded at the pre-fight weigh-in, where Tsarukyan, then 29, headbutted the 35-year-old Hooker. While Hooker initially downplayed the incident, he has now opened up about its potential impact on his performance.
Hooker's Emotional Revelation
"I actually didn't process [the loss] until I woke up in bed this morning," Hooker told Uncrowned on Monday, speaking ahead of his upcoming bout with Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 325. "I kind of just kept compartmentalising it. It's not something I really processed, and because I did get another fight so fast, you don't really get into what went wrong."
The New Zealand fighter then revealed the shocking extent of the weigh-in incident: "And it was when this guy headbutted me at the weigh-in, and broke my nose. It pissed me right off, but you can't get emotional at that stage of the fight. Mate, I was fuming. I wanted that back, but you just have to brush it off, put that in the back of your mind. But I was steamed, bro, I was steamed. That threw me off, for sure."
Medical Aftermath and Clearance Issues
Hooker clarified that he only discovered the severity of his injury after the fight, explaining: "They scanned me after the fight and took me to hospital. They were like: 'You've got a fractured nose.' [I thought:] 'That was the weigh-in, that had absolutely nothing to do with the fight.'"
The injury created complications for his next scheduled bout, with Hooker stating: "Then, for this fight, they were like: 'You've got to medically clear [the nose] for this fight,' and I just flat refused, brother. You already let me have one fight with it, now you're going to stop me from having another fight with it? That was from the weigh-in, brother, that had nothing to do with the fight."
Title Picture Implications and Fighter Relationships
Despite the controversial incident, Hooker expressed surprising sympathy for Tsarukyan, whose path to a title shot has become complicated. Tsarukyan's victory over Hooker seemingly positioned him as the next challenger for lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, but when Topuria announced a brief break from MMA, the UFC booked an interim-title fight without involving the Armenian.
Instead, Justin Gaethje faced Paddy Pimblett for the interim belt, outpointing the Liverpudlian to set up a clash with Topuria. This development further delays Tsarukyan's potential title opportunity, with some speculating that the headbutt incident may have influenced the UFC's decision-making.
"I feel bad, I like Arman now," Hooker admitted. "He's won me over as a fan. That's the saddest part about it: that the best years of his career are being wasted, bro. Wasted. He should be fighting Ilia. Who doesn't want to see that?"
Historical Context and Future Matchups
UFC president Dana White has hinted that Tsarukyan's absence from the immediate title picture might relate to an incident from January 2025, when the Armenian withdrew from a title shot against Islam Makhachev on just one day's notice, citing a back injury. Makhachev proceeded to submit Renato Moicano on short notice before vacating the lightweight title and moving up to welterweight, where he claimed another championship.
Meanwhile, Hooker's future could involve a potential grudge match with Paddy Pimblett, regardless of how he fares against Benoit Saint-Denis this weekend. The two fighters have exchanged vulgar comments recently, with Pimblett making remarks about Hooker's mother and Hooker responding with a jibe about one of Pimblett's deceased friends.
As the lightweight division continues to evolve with Topuria as champion and Gaethje as interim titleholder, both Hooker and Tsarukyan find themselves in uncertain positions, with pre-fight controversies potentially influencing their career trajectories in unexpected ways.
