Five Biggest Takeaways From UFC Fight Night: Hunt Vs. Lewis

In a fantastic night of fights, last night’s (Sat., June 10, 2017) UFC Fight Night 110 in New Zealand left much to analyze and discuss. From lighting quick knockouts to fast and slick submissions, the entire card was a stellar offering from top to bottom.

Derek Brunson and Mark Hunt picked up huge wins, while the rest of the main card bouts practically ended in less than a minute, so the action was at an all-time high on Saturday night.

We’ve determined the five biggest takeaways from UFC Fight Night 110, so check them out here:

5. Ion Cutelaba is a potential light heavyweight wrecking machine:

In a division thin on talent, Ion Cutelba’s 22-second knockout over Henrique Da Silva certainly put his name on a short list of light heavyweight prospects.

The Moldovan absolutely blitzed Da Silva and dispatched him with ease. Now sporting a 2-2 record in the UFC and a 13-2  record overall, Cutelaba remains a fighter to watch, and his performance on Saturday was an eye-opening moment for his career.

Paired with Volkan Oezdamer 28-second knockout of Misha Circunov, Cutelaba’s performance on Saturday absolutely puts him in a position for a top ten fight, considering the division has thinned out since the departure of Ryan Bader, Phil Davis, and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

4. Ross Pearson may be close to calling it a career:

Ross Pearson took a knee to the face on Saturday was absolutely brutal. For a guy who has never been actually knocked out cold (Swanson and Iaquinta both TKO’d him), Dan Hooker’s knockout over Pearson was tough enough to pause for a moment to make sure he was alright.

Hooker certainly timed that knee perfectly, and the knockout was a thing of beauty, the real story here is this loss is Pearson’s fourth in a row, a number where even the most beloved fighters aren’t safe from the dreaded pink slip.

It’s tough to see a once young and talented KO artist in his own right become a victim of the violence he once imposed.

It’s difficult to say where Pearson will go from here, but at 32-years-old and already a seasoned veteran of the UFC, the thought of retiring is more and more palpable.

3. Ben Nguyen smokes Tim Elliot in 48 seconds:

Tim Elliot was the only man to give flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson a tough fight, but Ben Nguyen made beating Elliot look easy.

After a short feeling out process, Nguyen took Elliot’s back following a scramble, and managed to sink in the rear naked choke just 48 seconds into the first round.

In yet another division lacking prospects and contenders, Nguyen’s performance makes him one of few flyweights on a notable come-up.

If “Mighty Mouse” had his hands full with Elliot, the same man Nguyen choked out in less than a minute, we could have a serious contender in be near future.

2. Derek Brunson is back on track:

Derek Brunson went in UFC Fight Night 110 needing a victory. After a TKO loss to Robert Whittaker and a close decision defeat to legend Anderson Silva, Brunson’s five fight win streak beforehand seemed a distant memory going into Saturday night.

With a surging Daniel Kelly in front of him, Brunson blitzed the same man who had just beat Rashad Evans, knocking him out cold with one shot 1:12 minutes into round one.

Brunson said himself he wasn’t going to leave it up to the judges again after what many perceived as a robbery decision against him. Well, nothing does that better than a quick KO.

Brunson is back on track, and called out Antonio Carlos Junior in his post-fight speech.

1. Mark Hunt TKOs “The Black Beast,” which may have retired him:

For a fighter mired in a lawsuit with his employer, Mark Hunt fought like a man possessed on Saturday in front of his home town crowd. Hunt engaged Derrick Lewis in a fire-fight slugfest, and ended up coming out on top after finishing “The Black Beast” in the fourth round with a barrage of punches.

Shockingly, Lewis said this was most likely his last fight, as he’s getting married next week and “didn’t want to keep putting his family through (this)”.

Lewis was coming off of a six-fight win streak heading into his fight with Hunt. Both men exchanged massive punches and kicks and had each other hurt more than a few times throughout the fight. Lewis began to show fatigue and Hunt took advantage, pouring it on the American and put him away.

If this is indeed Lewis’ last fight, that would be a shame, as the heavyweight division cannot afford to lose any top ten talent considering the state it’s in.

However, if Lewis does retire, we wish him the absolute best, and thank him for all of his great moments in the octagon.