UFC: Dan Hooker earns knock-out win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 226

Kiwi lightweight Dan Hooker has stormed to a fourth-straight win, knocking out Brazil's Gilbert Burns early in their UFC 226 bout in Las Vegas.

The Aucklander needed just over half of the opening round to dispatch Burns, setting the fight-ending sequence in motion with a heavy knee, wobbling him with a straight-right then sending him to the mat with a clean left-hand.

Hooker followed up with a hammer fist but it was entirely unnecessary, the referee rushing in to put to rescue the rocked Brazilian.

It marks the fourth-consecutive finish for Hooker and should push him to the precipice of a top 10 ranking in the promotion's most talented division.

That's precisely what Hooker demanded as he took to the microphone immediately following the bout.

"Give me someone in the top 10," Hooker told UFC commentator Joe Rogan. "Put some respect on my name.

"You're getting these boys hurt. You need to give me someone on my level."

Hooker displayed his composure in negotiating some early pressure from Burns, the Brazilian shooting out of the gates and throwing shots at a high pace.

The patient approach paid dividends for "The Hangman", measuring his strikes before unleashing with violent efficiency to end the contest.

"I knew that this guy wasn’t on my level. I saw everything he was throwing, timed him out and finished him," Hooker later said.

Hooker has his hand raised.
Hooker has his hand raised. Photo credit: Getty

The win caps a statement weekend for the New Zealand contingent after Hooker's teammate Israel Adesanya fired his own warning shot in a near-flawless performance in beating Brad Tavares on Saturday.

It's also the third UFC win for fighters from Auckland combat factory, City Kickboxing, in the past three weeks, following the efforts of Shane Young in Singapore and Adesanya.

"I train with the best team in the world. You saw Israel Adesanya last night and then me tonight. 

"You’re just getting a taste of what we do. We train for this every day."

Hooker hinted he'd be willing to face Paul Felder should the American get past Mike Perry in their welterweight bout scheduled for the main card of Sunday's event.

That said, he's far from fussy.

"My division is filled with guys who don’t want to fight. It’s time to get these guys who don’t fight out of here. I’ll fight anyone, anytime," he exclaimed.

"Go get me someone else and I’ll come back out again tonight and fight.

"This is what I do. I believe I am a Top 10 fighter and I’m here to prove it. I’m here to be the best."

UFC 226 continues on Sunday with a main card stacked with mouth-watering matchups, headlined by a clash between light heavyweight and heavyweight champions respectively, Dan Cormier and Stipe Miocic.

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