Main event: Mark Hunt def. Derrick LewisMark Hunt was able to tire out Derrick Lewis over the course of 18-plus minutes, before he landed the finishing sequence of punches that forced the referee to step in, awarding the win to Hunt by TKO at 3:51 of the fourth round. Both fighters had their moments, but it was Hunt that seemed to be getting the better of the exchanges. Both heavyweight landed 50-plus significant strikes. Lewis struggled with cardio as the rounds wore on, but Hunt, who was hurt in the first round when he checked a kick and a cut opened on his shin, continued to get stronger. Lewis said after the fight it might be his final UFC appearance.
THEY SAID IT:
Mark Hunt: “I have the most respect for Derrick. If this fight had been my last, it would’ve been perfect to end here in Auckland but it looks like we will still have time left. I want big fights against top opponents. I only have a few fights left so I want to go for anyone above me.”
Co-main: Derek Brunson def. Daniel KellyDerek Brunson only needed one shot to end Dan Kelly’s night, landing a straight left hand that KOed Kelly immediately. Brunson landed a few hammer fists before the referee pulled him off. Brunson finished the fight in 1:16 to earn his eighth UFC win. Brunson said he was going to be patient and look for his chance to land some powerful shots and his gameplan played out to perfection. After the fight Brunson said he’s determined to work his way to a title shot.
THEY SAID IT:
Derek Brunson: “I felt I had something to prove in this fight. I felt like I wasn’t getting the respect I deserved and my opponent was talking about how he was going to gas me out so I knew what I had to do. We’ll see what the UFC has in-store for me but Antonio Carlos Junior was just calling me out last weekend so let’s see if he wants to fight now or if he was just trying to get on TV.”
Daniel Hooker def. Ross PearsonDaniel Hooker and Ross Pearson were in the middle of a war when “The Hangman” landed the finishing blow by knee to the head at 3:02 of the second round. Hooker timed a counter knee perfectly as Pearson was trying to change levels to eliminate distance and get inside on the longer Hooker. By the time of the KO, Pearson’s lead leg was beat up pretty good from a consistent lead leg kick from Hooker throughout the fight. The knee KO will definitely be a KO of the Year candidate.
THEY SAID IT:
Dan Hooker: “I feel like I’m going to have to spend a few days reflecting on this. All I could envision was the bell ringing so now that it’s all done, I’m going to sit back on the farm and enjoy this experience. It’s an amazing feeling to have everyone here in Auckland see me fight. Ross Pearson is a guy you can never underestimate so I owe everything to my coaches. They studied the tapes, they made me drill that knee over and over, and they are the reason this happened tonight. I’m going back to training right away. The gym is open tomorrow so I’ll be back at it then.”
Ion Cutelaba def. Henrique da SilvaAfter ferociously stomping across the Octagon during his intro to deliver a throat slash gesture to Henrique da Silva, Ion Cutelaba came out and ran over the Brazilian in just 22 seconds. Cutelaba landed a big right hand that dropped da Silva and then he followed up with a serious of brutal straight rights that left da Silva’s head bouncing off the canvas.
THEY SAID IT:
Ion Cutelaba: “I was in a rush because I have a baby at home who is going to sleep soon and I wanted to say goodnight! I want to have memorable fights and that is what I did tonight. I am ready to fight again soon. Whoever the UFC will give me, I will finish them.”
Ben Nguyen def. Tim ElliottIn a shocking upset, Ben Nguyen submitted Tim Elliott by rear naked choke at :49 of the first round. Nguyen landed a head kick and a knee to the head that rocked Elliott, who didn’t remember the rest of the fight before he was forced to tap. Nguyen has now won four of five in the UFC and takes out Elliott who just went five round with the champion and pound-for-pound No. 1 Demetrious Johnson.
THEY SAID IT:
Ben Nguyen: “This was a real roller coaster for me. Obviously, I expected to fight Benavidez and then we had to change our game plan with Tim. We noticed that he tends to lean to that side quite a bit so I knew I could time my striking and it all worked out. Tim’s style is very different so it was a lot of work but we got the job done and I am very happy with how things went tonight.”
Alexander Volkanovski def. Mizuto HirotaAlexander Volkanovski improved to 15-1 and a perfect 2-0 in the UFC after his dominant showing against Mizuto Hirota, picking up the unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. Volkanovski landed a staggering 105 significant strikes and three takedowns to control the fight and hand Hirota his third UFC loss.
THEY SAID IT:
Alexander Volkanovski: “I felt hesitant and maybe that I should’ve pulled the trigger more but, overall, I’m happy with the win. My goal is to stay active. I want two more fights before the end of the year. Special thank you to the fans of New Zealand for making this an incredible week!”
Vinc Pichel def. Damien BrownVinc Pichel returned from a three-year absence in grand fashion, finishing Damien Brown by knockout at of the first round. Pichel landed a right uppercut as he was backing away from a charging Brown to end the fight. Pichel has now won three in a row and made a statement at 155 pounds with the finishing win.
THEY SAID IT:
Vinc Pichel: “This was a long journey for me so I wasn’t going to let anything stop me tonight. I have tremendous respect for Damien Brown as a fighter and for serving our country. I told him that this week and I want to say it again now. However, I wasn’t going to let him take this moment from me. I’m healthy and want to fight again asap. I want to fight at UFC 214 in Anaheim. It’s time to show the world what I can do.”
Luke Jumeau def. Dominique SteeleLuke Jumeau was successful in his UFC debut against veteran Dominique Steele, securing the unanimous decision win in front of his home crowd, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.
THEY SAID IT:
Luke Jumeau: “My whole career has been overseas so this was an incredible moment for myself and my fans. To be fighting for the largest promotion in the world, right here in my home was special. I won’t lie, I definitely felt the jitters. I had a little adrenaline dump. Nothing surprised me though, it was exactly what I expected. When you’re a striker and you feel those connections, it almost feels like a video game and you want to keep building on your combos. That’s why the third round was so amazing… and hearing the crowd behind me made it even better. I am ready to fight whoever the UFC can line up. Put me on the Sydney card, put me on a pay-per-view. I’m ready to go.”
John Moraga def. Ashkan MokhtarianJohn Moraga dominated Ashkan Mokhtarian, showing off his veteran savvy with a number of big combos on the feet and just next-level ground work. Moraga earned a unanimous decision victory, 30-25, 30-27, 30-27. Moraga landed an unofficial 96 strikes (52 significant) and landed two takedowns. Moraga had a bunch of submission attempts in the fight as well.
THEY SAID IT:
John Moraga: “This was a great experience to fight in Auckland. [Mokhtarian] felt strong but, surprisingly, he was a lot slower than I expected. I want to take a little time to rest and heal my body. I’m also thinking about moving up in weight. I need to see how much weight I can put on and what I feel like but that’s where my head is right now.”
Zak Ottow def. Kiichi KunimotoZak Ottow took home a close split decision against Kiichi Kunimoto, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. The majority of the fight was a wrestling battle as Ottow was able to do more in both the grappling and striking exchanges to pick up his second UFC win.
THEY SAID IT:
Zak Ottow: “I thought I won the first round. I thought I took the second as well since I was able to maneuver out of some dangerous positions and land more shots. I thought the third was more of a toss up but I felt like I had done enough to get the win and I’m happy with that. He was doing a really good job of keeping his head in line with mine and keeping a strong base so he was pretty hard to move. I felt like every time I tried to get my leg to the fence, he was like a truck parked on me but I thought I did a better job. I love being able to be here in Auckland. One of the most exciting aspects of UFC to me is that we travel the world and fight there best there is so it is a real honor to be here. I had a couple of names in mind but they recently got matched up so I am just going to relax and see what happens. I will be ready for whoever the UFC thinks should be next.”
JJ Aldrich def. Chan-Mi JeonChan-Mi Jeon landed more strikes (78-70) through three rounds in her UFC debut, but it was JJ Aldrich who made the most of her landed strikes as she secured a unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. The win is the first for Aldrich in the UFC.
THEY SAID IT:
JJ Aldrich : “I’ve been the first fight of the night before but the crowd was so amazing here tonight and it was extra special to get a win for them. I wasn’t too surprised with [Jeon] but she was very durable. I hit her with some big shots but she’s tough and it was a fun fight. I’m am a game fighter so I will be ready for whatever the UFC has for me but, for now, I’m very happy to get the win and now I want to go and enjoy Auckland.”
