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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned to action for UFC Fight Night 110: “Lewis vs. Hunt,” which went down yesterday (Sat., June 10, 2017) inside Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, airing live on FOX Sports 1. The promotion's latest mixed martial arts (MMA) card was headlined by a Heavyweight fight that saw Mark Hunt defeat Derrick Lewis via technical knockout in the fourth round (see it). Also, Derek Brunson ended his two-fight skid by knocking out Daniel Kelly cold in the very first round (see it again here).
Biggest winner: Mark Hunt
Hunt needed a win in a big way after dropping back-to-back defeats to Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem. And while he still isn’t on the best of terms with his employer, “Super Samoan” came out with a smile on his face after getting back on the winning track. And doing it against a top, rising contender like Lewis further proves that the hard-hitting brawler still has plenty left in the tank. And did you see his physique? Seriously, Hunt looked very fit, better than he has inside the Octagon. And you can tell it paid dividends, as Lewis was huffing and puffing while Hunt looked like he could go another five rounds. Indeed, if he’s focused like that with his nutrition for the rest of his UFC career — Hunt could do some damage in the division.
Runner Up: Ben Nguyen and Derek Brunson
Nguyen is the real deal, folks. After disposing of former title contender Tim Elliott in the very first round (watch it), Nguyen put everyone in the Flyweight division on notice. He has won 11 of his last 12 bouts and is a hot a fighter as there is at the moment, with eight of those victories come by way of stoppage. Up next could be a fight against Joseph Benavidez, as the two were set to tango at this event before an injury to “Joe-Jitsu” ruined it all. It will be a HUGE step up in competitor for Nguyen, but as he proved last night, he’s more than up to the task. Many raised their eyebrows when Nguyen was booked to face off against the No. 1-ranked contender in the world ... me included. But, his quick victory gives him serious validation, proving that he can hang with the top guys in the division.
Meanwhile, Brunson snapped his two-fight losing streak by absolutely obliterating Daniel Kelly in little more than minute. The victory helps Brunson erase the memory of his most recent loss to Anderson Silva, one he feels he should’ve won. In addition, the victory helped him from falling further down the Middleweight ladder, as three straight losses would’ve been disastrous. His knockout win also reminded everyone at 185 pounds just what kind of power and speed he brings with him to the Octagon.
Biggest Loser: Derrick Lewis
Lewis’ six-fight win streak came to a crashing end thanks to Hunt’s heavy hands. Many pegged Lewis as a future title contender, and already had him going up against Francis Ngannou in his next fight. But, the loss changed everything ... in more ways than one. That’s because “Black Beast” stated that he was likely done with fighting following the defeat, which will disappoint countless fight fans, as Lewis was must-see TV. But, if this truly is the end, no one can blame a fighter for deciding when to call it quits. Should he change his mind and continue fighting, Lewis will have a tough road back up to the top of the pack.
For play-by-play coverage and full results of the Fox Sports 1-televised UFC Fight Night 110 event click here.