*Arman Tsarukyan unloads a vicious ground and pound elbow onto Charles Oliveira. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

The UFC heads to the ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar, with an outstanding Fight Night card. The entire card has been filled from top to bottom with excellent matchups, exciting fighters, and future contenders all looking for a highlight-reel victory. In the co-main event, we’ll see two highly-ranked Welterweights face off when former champion Belal Muhammad takes on a dangerous scrapper in Ian Machado Garry. In the main event, two excellent Lightweight contenders will go toe-to-toe when #1 contender Arman Tsarukyan faces off with the marauding brawler, Dan Hooker. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

#11 Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Kyoji Horiguchi

*Tagir Ulanbekov picks up Clayton Carpenter for a slam takedown. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Flyweight Bout

Tagir Ulanbekov: 17-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Kyoji Horiguchi: 34-5-0, 15 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Ulanbekov has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #13 ranked Flyweight Bruno Silva (15-7-2), Azam Maksum (15-3-0), and Allan Nascimento (22-6-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with powerful, technical striking and an excellent grappling game. He’s large for a Flyweight and uses it well, constantly damaging his opponents with long straights and kicks and catching them as they enter his range. Ulanbekov throws everything with power but remains technical throughout, staying patient and looking for openings to explode forward and land big shots. He’s averaging nearly 3 takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is efficient on top, maintaining control and constantly posturing up to land ground and pound. Training at Eagles MMA, he’s particularly strong in the clinch and will often land impressive slam takedowns up against the cage. Ulanbekov gets increasingly dangerous as the fight continues and has secured five of his eight finish wins after round one.

*Kyoji Horiguchi unloads ground and pound shots onto Kai Asakura. Credit: Rizin FF.*

Horiguchi has won four of his last five bouts, with one no contest, and is returning to the UFC after nearly a decade fighting in Rizin and Bellator. He’s a wild fighter with devastating power in his hands and outstanding skills on the mat. He’s a second-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and throws every shot with knockout intentions, favoring power to volume and adding heavy kicks to the end of combinations. Horiguchi is very explosive and will constantly look to crash into the pocket and unload big hooks and overhands. He has excellent chain wrestling, regularly putting multiple takedown attempts together to secure a dominant position on the ground. Training at American Top Team, he’s dangerous in top position and has heavy ground and pound, but is just as dangerous off his back, constantly looking to sweep his opponent or grab a submission. Horiguchi has earned belts in Rizin, Bellator, and Shooto, and has faced exclusively high-level competition since leaving the UFC in 2016.

#6 Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. #11 Shamil Gaziev

*Waldo Cortes-Acosta clips Sergei Pavlovich with a stinging right hook. Credit: Yahoo Sports.*

Heavyweight Bout

Waldo Cortes-Acosta: 15-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Shamil Gaziev: 14-1-0, 9 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Acosta has won four of his last five outings and holds UFC victories over #7 ranked Heavyweight Serghei Spivac (17-6-0), #9 ranked Heavyweight Ante Delija (26-7-0), and Andrei Arlovski (34-24-0). He is a heavy-handed striker with excellent boxing and a dangerous right hand. He throws every shot with power, regularly coming forward to unload looping hooks and devastating overhands. Training at UKF Gym, Acosta is most at home in a brawl, working inside the pocket and firing knees and elbows in the clinch. He tends to favor power to volume, unloading single shots with knockout intentions. While he won’t usually initiate grappling exchanges, he has demonstrated a solid ability to return to his feet. Acosta is defensively sound and won’t usually absorb much damage, having outlanded seven of his ten UFC opponents.

*Shamil Gaziev blasts Thomas Petersen with a heavy right hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Gaziev has won four of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over Don’Tale Mayes (11-9-0), Martin Buday (16-2-0), and Thomas Petersen (10-4-0). He’s a dangerous power-puncher who can produce a flash knockout at any time. He fights behind his jab and has impressive hand speed for a Heavyweight, able to piece up his opponent with quick, heavy flurries. He throws everything with knockout intentions but won’t load up and keeps his hands low, always remaining unpredictable. Training with the KHK MMA Team, Gaziev does most of his work with his hands but has heavy kicks and will occasionally add them to the end of combinations. He has excellent takedowns in open space and along the fence, and he can perform impressive slams. He’s smart in top position, staying heavy and not getting wild while constantly looking to posture up and land ground and pound. Gaziev tends to slow as the fight progresses, but he is very dangerous early on and has earned 9 first-round finishes, five of which came in under a minute.

Jack Hermansson vs. Myktybek Orolbai

*Jack Hermansson batters Edmen Shahbazyan with brutal ground and pound. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Welterweight Bout

Jack Hermansson: 24-9-0, 11 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Myktybek Orolbai: 14-2-1, 6 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Hermansson has won two of his last five bouts and holds UFC victories over Joe Pyfer (15-3-0), Chris Curtis (32-12-0), and Kelvin Gastellum (21-10-0). Training at Frontline Academy, he is a well-rounded fighter with solid striking and an outstanding submission game. He’s a sharp, accurate striker, fighting behind his jab and constantly feinting while remaining in perpetual motion. He’ll constantly fire kicks from range before entering the pocket, often firing low kicks and body kicks before firing punch combinations. Hermansson heats up as the fight continues and has excellent cardio, able to go five rounds comfortably. He has solid takedowns and excellent top control but is comfortable on his feet and won’t try to force the fight to the mat. Hermansson has been in the UFC since 2016 and holds a few records in the Middleweight division, including the most significant body strikes landed in a fight (64) and the most total strikes attempted in a fight (496).

*Myktybek Orolbai elevates Tofiq Musayev for a devastating slam takedown. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Orolbai has won four of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over Elves Brener (16-5-0), Uroš Medić (10-3-0), and Tofiq Musayev (22-6-0). A well-rounded scrapper, he’s always coming forward and looking to do damage. He’s landing, on average, nearly six takedowns per fifteen minutes in the UFC and is a tenacious grappler, willing to work to get the fight to the mat. Orolbai always comes forward, usually unloading long, lunging punches while mixing takedowns into his striking. Training with Team Alpha Male, he’s exceptionally durable, always willing to eat a shot to land one, and pushes a heavy pace at all times. He has smothering top control and is always active in top position, constantly looking to posture or improve position. Orolbai has secured four of his last five finishes after round one, typically wearing down his opponent throughout the fight until securing a finish.

#9 Volkan Oezdemir vs. #14 Alonzo Menifield

*Volkan Oezdemir exchanges powerful blows with Bogdan Guskov. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Light Heavyweight Bout

Volkan Oezdemir: 20-8-0, 13 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Alonzo Menifield: 17-5-1, 10 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Oezdemir has won three of his last five fights and holds victories over #10 ranked Light Heavyweight Aleksander Rakić (14-6-0), #12 ranked Light Heavyweight Johnny Walker (22-9-0), and Bogdan Guskov (18-3-0). He’s a dangerous striker with serious power that pushes a heavy pace from the opening bell. He controls the center well and gets on his front foot immediately, forcing his opponent to the outside of the cage. Oezdemir is always looking to close the distance, often firing thudding leg kicks before lunging into the pocket to unload looping hooks and straights. Training at Allstars Training Center, he’s willing to get wild and exchange in the pocket, but remains accurate and will regularly mix up his targets and attack the body. He will occasionally pursue takedowns and is very dangerous in top position, constantly looking to posture up and do damage or get a hold of his opponent’s neck. Oezdemir has earned the nickname “No Time,” having secured fourteen of his fifteen finishes in the first round.

*Alonzo Menifield lands a thunderous left hand on Julius Walker. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Menifield has won three of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Oumar Sy (12-1-0), Dustin Jacoby (21-9-1), and Jimmy Crute (14-4-2). He is an explosive striker with serious power in both hands and constantly pursues a finish. He will regularly enter the pocket to fire looping shots and overhands and can do serious damage from any position. Menifield has excellent leg kicks and can land damage even when moving backward, remaining dangerous at all times. Training at Fortis MMA, he’s unlikely to initiate grappling exchanges but will immediately posture up and land devastating ground and pound if he secures top position. Of his thirteen finishes, he’s scored ten in the first round and always comes out guns blazing. Menifield is at his most dangerous early on, often fading as the fight continues, and has never scored a third-round finish.

#2 Belal Muhammad vs. #6 Ian Machado Garry

*Belal Muhammad ties up Leon Edwards as he pursues a choke. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Welterweight Bout

Belal Muhammad: 24-4-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Ian Machado Garry: 16-1-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Muhammad has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #7 ranked Welterweight Sean Brady (18-2-0), #9 ranked Welterweight Leon Edwards (22-6-0), and #12 ranked Welterweight Gilbert Burns (22-9-0). Primarily a wrestler, he prefers to take the fight to the mat, using blast double-leg takedowns to drag his opponents to the floor and do damage. He has heavy top pressure, advances position quickly, and never puts himself in dangerous spots. On the feet, Muhammad uses a heavy-handed boxing style, remaining technical and throwing in combination, often using his striking to set up his grappling. Training at Valle Flow Striking, he’s landing, on average, about 94 significant strikes per fight in his last five outings and pushes a consistently heavy pace throughout. He’s exceptionally defensively sound, having defended 90% of takedowns and 55% of significant strikes attempted on him in the UFC. Muhammad has outlanded seven of his last ten opponents and is always looking to wear down and outpace his foe.

*Ian Machado Garry stuns Carlos Prates with a sharp left hand. Credit: Home of Fight.*

Garry has won four of his last five fights, with UFC wins coming over #5 ranked Welterweight Carlos Prates (23-7-0), #10 ranked Middleweight Michael Page (24-3-0), and #14 ranked Welterweight Geoff Neal (16-7-0). He’s an excellent striker with a very fluid style, constantly moving and bouncing on his feet with an almost karate-like stance. He’s highly accurate, throwing everything with speed and power but stays composed and rarely wastes energy. Garry has excellent distance management and does a great job controlling range, quickly darting in and out of the pocket and not allowing his opponents to get long combinations off. He does a fantastic job of varying his strikes and angles, remaining unpredictable and elusive throughout. Training at Chute Boxe DL, he holds a black belt in Judo and is willing to grapple, regularly mixing in takedowns and clinches to wear down his opponent and control the pace. Garry benefits from a slower, more technical fight, not looking to be pulled into a knockdown, drag-out brawl.

#1 Arman Tsarukyan vs. #6 Dan Hooker

*Arman Tsarukyan blasts Beneil Dariush with a thudding right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Lightweight Bout

Arman Tsarukyan: 22-3-0, 9 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Dan Hooker: 24-12-0, 11 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Tsarukyan has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Lightweight Charles Oliveira (36-11-0), #12 ranked Lightweight Beneil Dariush (23-7-1), and Joaquim Silva (14-6-0). A well-rounded combatant, he has serious punching power and outstanding, smothering wrestling. He has fast hands and throws everything in combination, regularly mixing heavy body and head kicks into his offense. Training at American Top Team, Tsarukyan has a solid chin and a flashy arsenal of kicks, often firing spinning attacks or even axe kicks. He is a dominant grappler and has excellent timing and entries on his takedowns, usually getting to his opponents’ hips with impressive speed before securing a powerful takedown. He’s very efficient in top position, maintaining control and not allowing his opponent up while constantly landing brutal ground and pound shots, especially elbows. Tsarukyan, on average, lands twice as many significant strikes per minute as he absorbs and is always dangerous.

*Dan Hooker cracks Mateusz Gamrot with a stiff right hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Hooker has won three of his last five outings, holding UFC victories over #7 ranked Lightweight Mateusz Gamrot (25-4-0), #12 ranked Welterweight Gilbert Burns (22-9-0), and Jalin Turner (14-9-0). He’s a savage striker who’s always coming forward and looking to turn things into a dogfight. He has solid head movement and counterstriking but is always willing to eat a shot to land one, regularly marching through his opponent’s offense to do damage of his own. Hooker is a devastating clinch striker, possessing some of the most brutal knees in the UFC and great dirty boxing. Training at City Kickboxing, he does a great job of mixing up his attacks and regularly lands brutal body shots. He has solid takedown defense and outstanding submissions, often defending takedowns with his guillotine choke. Hooker pushes a heavy pace and will never back down, always leaving everything inside the cage.

Best Bets

Myktybek Orolbai Moneyline: This is an intriguing matchup of two exciting scrappers that I’ve been looking forward to. Both of these fighters have well-rounded skill sets and are dangerous from anywhere, and they are very rarely in boring fights. Hermansson is a true veteran of the UFC, having faced a who’s who of the Middleweight division, and is venturing down to Welterweight to take on Orolbai. Orolbai has had just four fights in the UFC but has quickly risen to popularity thanks to his incredible durability and willingness to brawl. These fighters had very different outcomes in their last appearances: Hermansson suffered a vicious knockout loss, while Orolbai scored an impressive first-round submission victory. They’re obviously at different places in their career, and after five years of trading wins and losses, I’m not anticipating Hermansson suddenly having a career revival down a weight class. Orolbai pushes a ferocious pace, and I expect him to get on the gas early, controlling the center and forcing Hermansson to the outside before eventually taking him down. Once Orolbai secures top position, I expect him to batter Hermansson on the mat and wear him out with nonstop offense. Although Hermansson is coming off a very quick knockout loss, it was against one of the hardest hitters in the Middleweight division, and he’s generally a tough guy to finish, so I wouldn’t expect a quick win here for Orolbai. Regardless, I expect him to do serious damage and dominate Hermansson en route to another impressive victory.

Volkan Oezdemir by KO/TKO: This is an excellent fight between two dangerous, ranked Light Heavyweights. Both of these fighters have a wealth of UFC experience and are looking for a big win to solidify their position in the top 15. While both of these fighters are powerful strikers with plenty of finishes on their record, I don’t believe they’re at the same skill level. Menifield, while technically skilled, tends to rely on his size and power, and won’t usually look to grapple. Oezdemir has a much more well-rounded skill set and a more polished striking style, willing to bring the fight to the mat or engage in a technical striking duel. Oezdemir is known for his knockout power and is always looking for a quick finish, but he has the ability and cardio to go all three rounds and has more than one path to victory. Menifield has also struggled throughout his career against top-level talent, especially strikers, and Oezdemir has been fighting at the top of the Light Heavyweight division for the past 7 years. I expect Oezdemir to be a bit more measured and technical in this fight, avoiding a wild brawl and not giving Menifield an opportunity to land power shots. I anticipate Oezdemir using his kicking game to damage and slow Menifield, limiting Menifield’s weapons and explosiveness while remaining elusive and avoiding the pocket. As the fight continues, I believe Menifield will get increasingly desperate and open more opportunities for Oezdemir’s offense, and Oezdemir will ultimately find the finishing blow and put himself back into the win column.

Tsarukyan vs. Hooker Over 3.5 Rounds: This is an outstanding fight between two top contenders, either of whom could be fighting for a title soon with a landmark victory this Saturday. Both are highly dangerous, for varying reasons. Tsarukyan is an excellent grappler with big-time punching power to supplement his wrestling skills. Hooker is a marauder, always coming forward to do damage and make the fight dirty. While both of these fighters have serious finishing abilities, this is an enormous matchup for either, and I wouldn't anticipate either throwing caution to the wind early in this fight. Although both have come close, neither has contested a title and could earn a shot this Saturday, so I expect them both to have very measured game plans. I wouldn't predict a boring fight, but I do expect an early feeling-out process before either man starts taking serious risks. As the fight continues, I expect more close exchanges and for both fighters to go for the finish. While I'm unsure of how exactly this fight ends, I'm confident that it will last at least three and a half rounds before it does.

UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker Preview