UFC on ESPN+ 26 free fight: Dan Hooker starches James Vick in first round

Dan Hooker rebounded from his first blemish in years in emphatic fashion.

He saw his four-fight winning streak come to a halt in a third-round TKO loss to Edson Barboza, where he displayed a ton of heart. But Hooker (19-8 MMA, 9-4 UFC) would then get matched up with fellow striker James Vick last July at UFC on ESPN 4 in hopes of regaining his momentum.

In Round 1, Hooker was on the attack early, chopping away at Vick’s long legs. He continued to press forward, tagging Vick with a nice one-two combination up top, but Vick answered with a flurry of his own, popping Hooker’s head back with a straight right, as the two continued to exchange.

Then, midway through the first round, Hooker fainted with the right, then threw a big overhand lef,  which connected straight on Vick’s chin, sitting him down on the canvas. He followed it up with some ground-and-pound, putting Vick completely out. Hooker was back in a big way, with yet another stoppage win.

After the finish over Vick, Hooker notched arguably the biggest win of his career, battering Al Iaquinta over the course of three rounds at UFC 243, which set him up for his first main event in the UFC.

Hooker returns to action this Saturday in the UFC on ESPN+ 26 headliner in Auckland against Paul Felder in a lightweight banger.