UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker
| Company type | Event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | November 22, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Al Rayyan , Qatar |
Area served | Worldwide (UFC audience) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts competition |
UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker—also identified as UFC Fight Night 265, was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This event took place on November 22, 2025, at the Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena located in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
Background
This occasion represented the UFC's inaugural event in Qatar, making it the third Middle Eastern country to host after the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.[1] Initially, the UFC had planned to hold its first event in Qatar on May 17, coinciding with UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales, but that card was ultimately moved to the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
The headline bout was a lightweight contest featuring Arman Tsarukyan versus Dan Hooker.[2]
A heavyweight fight between Serghei Spivac and Shamil Gaziev underwent several alterations. This matchup had been arranged for previous events; however, Gaziev withdrew due to a finger fracture, and Spivac later pulled out citing undisclosed reasons. To fill the vacancy, former LFA Heavyweight Champion Waldo Cortes-Acosta was enlisted as Spivac’s substitute.[3]
A middleweight bout involving former title contender Paulo Costa and Sharabutdin Magomedov was called off after Magomedov required nasal surgery.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Initially, heavyweight newcomers Marek Bujło and José Luiz were matched up, but Luiz was replaced by current LFA Heavyweight Champion Denzel Freeman, who made his UFC debut at this event.[4]
In the flyweight division, former UFC Flyweight title challenger and multi-organization champion Kyoji Horiguchi faced off against Tagir Ulanbekov. This fight had been postponed from a June card due to Horiguchi’s earlier withdrawal.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
A light heavyweight clash between ex-KSW and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Błachowicz and Bogdan Guskov was rescheduled for UFC 323.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Featherweights Muhammad Naimov and TUF featherweight winner Mairon Santos had their bout moved to UFC 323, taking place two weeks later.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
A bantamweight contest between Felipe Lima and Daniel Marcos was canceled following Lima’s withdrawal; Marcos was subsequently reassigned to a prior event.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Bonus awards
The following fighters were granted $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: No bonus was awarded.
- Performance of the Night: Arman Tsarukyan, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, Kyoji Horiguchi, and Luke Riley