The first UFC event in Doha, Qatar, did not disappoint one bit, with plenty of action to enjoy.
It was indeed a hard choice for who earned the Performance of the Night bonuses after the outstanding knockouts and submissions in the prelims and main card.
The results of the headliner and co-main event may have just confirmed the next title challengers at 155lbs and 170lbs.
With so many stunning highlights in the ABHA Arena, here is everything that happened at UFC Qatar.
The Armenian remains the #1 contender
A lightweight title opportunity was just a battle away in this fiery bout between two fighters who highly dislike each other.
Arman Tsarukyan was hoping to keep himself in strong title contention after pulling out of his title fight earlier this year against Islam Makhachev.
Dan Hooker had the chance to claim his first-ever title fight if he could pull off an underdog triumph in Doha.
It was likely going to be a war between these two men, but the result of the fight would be hard to predict.
The first round began with Tsarukyan threatening with some powerful strikes, although Hooker came close with a submission attempt.
Round two did not take long for the #1 contender to land a takedown against ‘The Hangman’, despite the New Zealander attempting another Guillotine Choke.
Eventually, after showcasing more of his grappling, the Armenian was able to grab the win after submitting Hooker with an Arm Triangle Choke.
Tsarukyan remains as the #1 contender and vows to face the UFC Lightweight Champion next, Ilia Topuria.
Machado Garry makes title shot statement
An interesting fight at 170lbs saw a former champion seek redemption and a contender aim for a title opportunity.
Belal Muhammad lost his welterweight title at UFC 315 after he was defeated by unanimous decision against Jack Della Maddalena.
Ian Machado Garry avenged his first MMA loss with a unanimous decision win over Carlos Prates at UFC Kansas City.
This co-main event was seen as a title eliminator, as there are plenty of fighters in contention for championship status.
Throughout the three-round war, Garry showed just how good he was with his striking as he timed his shots at the right time.
Muhammad did contest on the feet, but was more desperate for takedowns, which he could not secure.
The Irishman’s takedown defence was a major factor in this battle, enabling him to win by a convincing unanimous decision.
‘The Future’ called out Makhachev, wanting his shot at the belt, as he believes he is the next rightful challenger.
Other Moments from UFC Qatar
Volkan Oezdemir made short work of Alonzo Menifield, stopping the 38-year-old by knockout in round one.
Myktybek Orolbai wowed the Doha crowd with a fascinating first-round knockout against Jack Hermansson.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta earned his fourth win of the calendar year after stepping up on short notice to knock out Shamil Gaziev in the first round.
Kyoji Horiguchi made an awe-inspiring return in the UFC with a dominant performance to win by third-round submission with a Rear-Naked Choke against Tagir Ulanbekov.
Luke Riley made his UFC debut in emphatic style after a spectacular second-round knockout against Bogdan Grad, extending his undefeated record to 12 wins.
Nicolas Dalby returned to the win column after a close battle with Saygid Izagakhmaev, triumphing by a split decision.
Asu Almabayev secured redemption in the third round as he won by a standing Guillotine Choke against Alex Perez.
Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev could not have produced a better debut as he submitted Raffael Cerqueira in just 33 seconds.
Aleksandre Topuria claimed his second win in the UFC, beating Bekzat Almakhan by unanimous decision.
Ismail Naurdiev earned his first stoppage win in the UFC, knocking out Ryan Loder in the first round.
Nurullo Aliev remained undefeated after claiming a dominant decision victory over Shem Rock.
In the battle of the debutants, Denzel Freeman defeated Marek Bujlo by unanimous decision.
