The bout was confirmed by UFC boss Dana White, along with a welterweight co-main event between former champion Belal Muhammad and No 6-ranked Irish contender Ian Machado Garry.
“Arman won nine of his last 10 fights, he’s got wins over [Charles] Oliveira, [Beneil] Dariush, he’s on a four-fight win streak - the guy is a dangerous dude,” White said.
“He’s taking on Dan Hooker, whom you guys love and he’s always looking for a finish, always looking to dog it out and fight it out. One of the most beloved guys in the sport, he’s on a three-fight win streak.”
The bout will be Hooker’s first since August last year, when he claimed a split-decision win over Mateusz Gamrot in Perth in a fight-of-the-night performance.
He was booked to be back in action in March against American fan-favourite Justin Gaethje, but was forced to withdraw from the meeting due to a hand injury which required surgery.
The match-up is one Hooker has been calling for, with he and Tsarukyan having traded barbs on social media and in interviews over the past couple of years.
The fight will be Tsarukyan’s first since a split decision win over former champion Oliveira last April. Following that win, the 28-year-old was due to challenge for the belt against then-champion Islam Makhachev in January.
However, the Armenian pulled out less than two days before the fight due to a back injury suffered while cutting weight. That was not taken well by the UFC, with White saying Tsarukyan would have to fight again before they considered booking him for another title shot.
He did, however, weigh in as the back-up fighter when the vacant title was contested between Oliveira and Ilia Topuria in June, which Topuria won.
It is unclear what is next for champion Topuria, though Max Holloway (3) and Gaethje (5) could be among the options considered as athletes ranked in the top five and coming off a win.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
