UFC: Dan 'The Hangman' Hooker brutalised in first stoppage loss against Edson Barboza

Daniel Hooker's elevation to the top of the UFC's lightweight elite has hit a roadblock, after the Kiwi took a battering at UFC Fight Night in Milwaukee.

Coming off four straight stoppage wins, 'The Hangman' was looking to make a statement in the co-main event against number five-ranked Edson Barboza, but the Brazilian stole the headlines.

UFC: Dan 'The Hangman' Hooker brutalised in first stoppage loss against Edson Barboza

Arguably the division's best pure striker, Barboza unleashed a barrage of brutal kicks and punches that eventually left Hooker curled on the canvas in agony.

Barboza controlled the Aucklander from the midway point of the opening frame, hurting the Kiwi with his trademark leg kicks that had Hooker limping back to his stool at the end of the first round. 

The 32-year-old ramped up his offensive output in the second, stunning Hooker on several occasions with knees in the clinch, a big uppercut and an onslaught of leg kicks that brutalised the Kiwi.

Hooker briefly gained a measure of control at the halfway point of the fight, securing a takedown, after a winning a scramble with the Brazilian on the ground.

But Barboza got back to his feet with less than a minute remaining on the clock in the second and continued to batter the 28-year-old.

Through all that, Hooker hung tough, landing a few nice combinations himself, but without the use of his legs, it was just a matter of time.

Barboza turned his attention to Hooker's body in the final frame, landing several brutal body kicks and punches, eventually stopping his foe midway through the round.

Hooker cast a dejected figure after the fight, as he made his way back to the locker room, accompanied by a concerned UFC president Dana White. 

The loss will likely see Hooker fall out of the rankings, while Barboza has probably earned himself a high-profile fight with the likes of Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirer or Al Iaquinta.

In the afternoon's feature bout, Iaquinta got a decision nod over Kevin Lee in a great lightweight scrap.

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