We already know going into Saturday night’s UFC on FOX 31 co-feature lightweight bout that Edson Barboza is a straight-up killer when he gets going.
Barboza certainly reaffirmed that notion at Fiserv Forum in Milauwkee. But what we also learned is that his opponent, Daniel Hooker, just might be one of the toughest men walking the face of the earth.
The New Zealander absorbed an absolutely wicked beating from Barboza before finally crumpling to the mat in the third round, giving Barboza the TKO win at the 2:19 mark.
“He’s one of the best in the world, but I’m back, guys,” Barboza said.
Barboza landed early and often in the opening round with sharp leg kicks that landed hard. Whenever Hooker tried to pick up the pace, he also found himself eating punches in combos for his efforts. When things went back to fighting at range, the leg kicks resumed, turning things into a vicious circle for Hooker.
In the second, Barboza poured things on as the effects of the leg kicks started to set in. By the end of the round, Barboza was using Hooker for target practice. But the super-tough Hooker made it to the end of the round, then sat on the mat without a stool between rounds.
Hooker continued to press forward and things only got worse. Barboza landed one spinning kick after another, as if he was putting on a paid clinic. Hooker still wouldn’t quit. A final spinning back kick to the midsection dropped Hooker on hands and knees to the mat, and with people across the country screaming at their televisions for someone to stop it, referee Rob Hinds finally waved the fight off.
Barboza (20-6), who recently moved his camp to American Top Team, snapped a two-fight losing streak in his 20th career UFC fight. Hooker (17-8) had a four-fight win streak snapped.