Now that we’ve delivered the official itinerary, let’s appreciate what this early-afternoon chaos truly represents: Tsarukyan bulldozing forward like a man late for a flight, and Hooker showing up with the kind of stubborn durability that requires its own warning label. Their bout is pure lightweight energy—fast, frantic, and just unhinged enough to remind us why nobody sleeps on this division. Belal Muhammad’s quest for redemption meets the ever-chatty, ever-dangerous Ian Machado Garry in a co-main that feels like destiny, drama, and possibly a TED Talk waiting to happen. Oezdemir vs. Menifield adds the promise of a fight so short you might miss it while reaching for the remote.

This card packs enough international spice to qualify as a tasting menu for violence enthusiasts. We’ve got grapplers who treat limbs like puzzles, strikers who swing with questionable intentions, and at least one matchup destined to produce a highlight the UFC will recycle for years. Consider it the perfect blend of tactical brilliance, emotional whiplash, and adrenaline-fueled decision-making. Caffeine recommended, blinking discouraged.

Here are our official fight predictions for the card.

• Tsarukyan vs. Hooker = Hooker ❌
• Muhammad vs. Garry = Garry ✔️
• Oezdemir vs. Menifield = Oezdemir ✔️
• Hermansson vs. Orolbai = Orolbai ✔️
• Acosta vs. Gaziev = Acosta ✔️
  
• Ulanbekov vs. Horiguchi = Horiguchi ✔️
• Grad vs. Riley = Riley ✔️
• Dalby vs. Izagakhmaev = Izagakhmaev ❌
• Perez vs. Almabayev = Almabayev ✔️
• Yakhyaev vs. Cerqueira = Yakhyaev ✔️
• Almakhan vs. Topuria = Topuria ✔️
  
• Naurdiev vs. Loder = Naurdiev ✔️
• Aliev vs. Rock = Aliev ✔️
• Bujlo vs. Freeman = Bujlo ❌