Lightweights Dan Hooker and Edson Barboza fought each other tonight (Sat., December 15, 2018) inside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin tonight, the last live and free event on big FOX.
Hooker opened with a couple leg kicks and Barboza returned with a body kick and a straight to the midsection. Hooker racked up a couple more kicks before Barboza landed a couple leg kicks. Hooker checked a leg kick, they traded low kicks again and Hooker landed a hook. Barboza landed an inside leg kick. Hooker tried a kick into a straight right. Barboza landed a combination and a body kick, then another leg kick. Hooker landed a straight and threw a kick off Barboza’s arms. Hooker ate an overhand right. Barboza kicked the inside of his lead leg again. Barboza countered a straight attempt with a combination that landed in a leg kick. He landed another leg kick and an overhand, then dropped Hooker for a second with a right straight. Hooker shifted into a nice hook that landed, then landed another few punches, getting aggressive on the Brazilian. Barboza got to the thai clinch and landed some nice knees, then whiffed on a huge wheel kick. He landed another leg kick before the round ended.
Barboza had Hooker limping with another leg kick, and Hooker waded forward, trying to land the knockout. They traded punches, both men landing, with Hooker and Barboza trading in the pocket. Hooker looked for his signature knee, then Barboza tried to jump on a Hooker who had slipped to the mat. Instead, Hooker slipped behind him and took top position on Barboza, who looked very tired. Hooker flattened him out in half guard and landed workmanlike arm punches to the head and body as the crowd booed. Barboza kicked him off and stood, ripping Hooker to the body and head. Barboza cracked Hooker with huge shots! Hooker waded forward like a zombie, as Barboza worked the body and head. They traded punches, with Barboza just whaling on Hooker. They clinched and Barboza pushed Hooker to the mat, then put his hands on his knees and rested. Hooker got up, just eating Barboza’s punches and kicks to the head and body. Barboza made Hooker stagger with an overhand, but Hooker somehow stayed standing through the end of the round! What an incredible fight! Hooker sat on the ground between rounds as the doctor questioned him.
Barboza went back to the leg kicks to start the third, then traded punches with Hooker again. Hooker shot in, but Barboza stuffed it; Hooker held on and followed him to the cage, pushing him up against it with head pressure. Barboza pushed off and separated. Barboza bent Hooker in half with a spinning back kick to the body! Hooker survived a wheel kick. Another spinning back kick the body from Barboza! Hooker took a hook square on his jaw like an action movie hero who just wouldn’t go down! Barboza landed a brutal body knee, then another five strikes before Hooker finally folded to the mat. What an incredible fight, what a tough-man performance from Dan Hooker.
Edson Barboza said that Hooker is one of the best, and told the crowd emphatically: “I am back!” He said his wife is pregnant, and he is one of the happiest guys in the world! Great way to close out the Fox era for Edson Barboza.
Official result: Edson Barboza def. Dan Hooker via KO at 2:19 of Round 3
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