Biggest Winners, Loser For UFC Auckland

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Biggest Winner: Dan Hooker

It was a razor-thin decision, but Dan Hooker picked up a huge win on his homeland by edging out Paul Felder via split decision. With the win, “The Hangman” is now on a three-fight win streak and has won seven of his last eight since 2016. That’s quite a run for the New Zealander, who called for a showdown against Justin Gaethje after his victory. And it makes all the sense in the world, as “The Highlight” doesn’t have a fight lined up at the moment. Plus, his latest win should move Hooker up to the top five, right behind Gaethje. If he somehow doesn’t get that fight, there are still plenty of other options for Hooker to sink his teeth into. One thing is certain, the top five matchups just got a lot more interesting.

Runner Up: Yan Xiaonan

Don’t look now, but the women’s Strawweight division has a new player in the mix, as Yan picked up her fifth straight win inside the Octagon, bringing her win streak to 10 straight. Since making her Octagon debut in 2017, Xiaonan hasn’t skipped a beat, going 5-0 including scoring impressive wins over Angela Hill, Kailin Curran and now former title contender, Karolina Kowalkiewicz. It was a dominate win for the Chinese-born fighter, and one of her biggest ones to date. The victory should be more than good enough to put her in the top 15, if not top 10. She’s put in the work and it’s about time she gets her due props and respect from the rankings panel.

Biggest Loser: Karolina Kowalkiewicz

“The Polish Princess” has now dropped four straight after getting dominated by the aforementioned Yan Xianonan. Karolina hasn’t seen the winner’s circle since April of 2018. Over her last eight fights inside the Octagon, Kowalkiewicz has gone 2-6, which could spell the end for her inside the Octagon. Where it went wrong for the Polish-born fighter is a mystery, as she came into the UFC with a 7-0 record. Furthermore, it only took her three straight wins inside the eight-sided cage to score her first and only shot at the 115-pound title, which at the time was held by Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Since then, though, Karolina just hasn’t been able to get her groove back. Now, all she can do is wait and see if the next email she receives from UFC is another fight contract or her pink slip.

For complete UFC Fight Night 168: “Felder vs Hooker” play-by-play updates and results click here.