The New Zealand crowd couldn’t have asked for anything better.
Daniel Hooker, its hometown boy, knocked out Ross Pearson with a standing knee at 3:02 of the second round Saturday night on the UFC Fight Night 110 main card in Auckland.
Pearson, a UFC vet, was having success against the younger Hooker in the lightweight contest. But when he dipped his head down during a combination, Hooker capitalized — and sent Pearson’s mouthpiece flying with a devastating knee. Pearson was out immediately.
It might not be Knockout of the Year, but it’ll likely be somewhere on the list.