Dan Hooker edges Paul Felder in five-round war

When the UFC Auckland main event fight between Paul Felder and Dan Hooker was announced, many fight fans and pundits rightly predicted it would be an all-out war. They were right.

Hooker and Felder traded punches and bruising leg kicks for 25 minutes en route to a judges’ decision which would prove controversial no matter who they scored the fight for. That’s how close it was.

Ultimately, it was Hooker who got the nod from the judges sat cageside.

New Zealand’s Hooker, who understandably received a hometown hero’s welcome in Auckland’s Spark Arena, built an early lead with some solid calf kicks followed up by a stinging jab to keep the advancing Felder at bay.

The Kiwi showed great discipline and control with his reach advantage, but his defences eventually wore thin as Philadelphia’s Felder chipped away with leg kicks of his own, as well as some ripped combinations up top and to the mid-section.

Felder’s best round was in the fourth, where he clearly wobbled Hooker with a straight right after coming out of his corner all guns blazing.

Going into the fifth round, it looked like the fight would be scored two rounds apiece for Hooker and Felder. The latter hurt Hooker in the early going of the final round, but “The Hangman” rallied and scored a takedown in the final stages of the fight to secure the fight in the mind of two judges.

This was perhaps the biggest win of Hooker’s budding UFC career and he called out Justin Gaethje after his victory for good measure. Book the fight, Sean Shelby.

 

Jimmy Crute wins battle of light heavyweight prospects against Michał Oleksiejczuk

Jimmy Crute wasn’t hanging around in Auckland.

The Australian instantly took the fight to fellow light heavyweight prospect Michał Oleksiejczuk, seeking the takedown to avoid the Pole’s punching power.

Aged just 23-years-old, Crute totally dominated his adversary in the wrestling stakes and when down on the mat.

After breaking down Oleksiejczuk’s resistance on the ground, Crute easily moved from full mount back to side control to begin cranking on a brutal kimura. Oleksiejczuk understandably tapped and that was a wrap inside the first round.

Crute has been billed as a name to keep your eye on and for good reason, based on this performance.

 

UFC Auckland: Paul Felder vs. Dan Hooker full results

Lightweight: Dan Hooker def. Paul Felder by split decision after five rounds
Light Heavyweight: Jimmy Crute def. Michał Oleksiejczuk by submission (kimura) at 3:29 of round one
Women’s Strawweight: Yan Xiaonan def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz by unanimous decision after three rounds
Heavyweight: Marcos Rogério de Lima def. Ben Sosoli by TKO (punches) at 1:28 of round one
Lightweight: Brad Riddell def. Magomed Mustafaev by split decision after three rounds
Featherweight: Zubaira Tukhugov def. Kevin Aguilar by TKO (punches) at 3:21 of round one
Lightweight: Jalin Turner def. Joshua Culibao by TKO (punches) at 3:01 of round two
Welterweight: Jake Matthews def. Emil Weber Meek by unanimous decision after three rounds
Welterweight: Song Kenan def. Callan Potter by KO (punches) at 2:20 of round one
Flyweight: Kai Kara-France def. Tyson Nam by unanimous decision after three rounds
Women’s Strawweight: Angela Hill def. Loma Lookboonmee by unanimous decision after three rounds
Women’s Flyweight: Priscila Cachoeira def. Shana Dobson by KO (punch) at 0:40 of round one