A 155-pound slugger won’t deny that other fighters are avoiding Arman Tsarukyan, but he feels the reasoning is valid.

Tsarukyan is currently the No. 2-ranked UFC lightweight. He was expected to challenge Islam Makhachev for UFC gold, but he was forced off the card just hours prior to the weigh-ins. Tsarukyan hasn’t exactly found himself in the UFC’s good graces, and his refusal to face Mateusz Gamrot in a rematch certainly didn’t help.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Hooker said that with Arman Tsarukyan being in the UFC’s doghouse, it gives the top of the heap at lightweight a good reason to sidestep him (h/t MMAFighting).

“Probably [Max Holloway’s] got one more I think [before rematching Topuria],” Hooker said. “Obviously, [Islam Makhachev’s] going up to welterweight. Ilia will probably fight [Justin] Gaethje. That leaves Holloway, and Holloway ain’t going to fight Arman, no one wants to see that. Holloway will probably fight [Charles] Oliveira, Gaethje will fight for the title, and then that leaves my man Arman, that’s the fight I want. That’s the fight that makes sense.

“They told him one more. He’s turned down [Mateusz] Gamrot, who’s ranked one before me. Let’s be honest, [Tsarukyan’s] a walking bag of sand, but he is a very good fighter and now all those big name guys, they’ve got a good excuse to not fight him. Ilia said he’s not going to fight him. The UFC says that he needs one more. And between Arman and me, there’s Oliveira, they’ve already had that fight. … [Tsarukyan’s] stuck fighting me. He’s got to fight me to get back in the mix and to get a title shot.”

Tsarukyan was an emergency backup option for the UFC 317 main event. Ultimately, Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira took place without incident, but Tsarukyan did make championship weight in case he was needed.