Derrick Lewis' impressive six-fight win streak in the UFC's heavyweight division is over, courtesy of Mark Hunt.
Fighting in front of his hometown crowd, Hunt (13-11-1) defeated Lewis via TKO at 3:51 of the fourth round Saturday. The heavyweight bout headlined UFC Fight Night inside New Zealand's Vector Arena.
Lewis (18-5) has been the recipient of plenty of hype, but he was clearly overmatched against Hunt. Hunt, 43, walked Lewis into the fence throughout and punished his body with punches. Referee Marc Goddard stopped the bout even though Lewis never went down, but there was no protest from Lewis.
"It's a pretty good feeling," said Hunt, who hadn't won a fight since March 2016. "I know Derrick Lewis is from the hood, but this is my hood.
"It was a matter of time. Derrick Lewis is a tough guy. I respect him because he doesn't use steroids. I think we all need to band together to get rid of steroids in our sport, make it an even playing field."
Immediately after the loss, Lewis said Saturday would "most likely" be his last fight in the UFC. A pro since 2010, Lewis said he doesn't want to continue to put his family through the stress of his career.
"I'm getting married next week, and I don't like putting my family through all this," he said. "Most likely that'll be my last fight in the UFC."
Hunt has been a loud opponent of performance-enhancing drugs since last summer, when he suffered a decision loss to Brock Lesnar at UFC 200. It was later revealed that Lesnar had tested positive for a banned substance before the fight but was allowed to compete because the results were not available before the event.
Even at 43, Hunt remains one of the most dangerous finishers in the UFC. He staggered Lewis several times in the fight, mostly with the right hand. Despite being 11 years younger, Lewis appeared tired as early as the second round, placing his hands on his hips and leaving his chin exposed high. Lewis had some success early by throwing low and high kicks, but the strategy might have contributed to his empty gas tank.
Lewis wasn't able to get away from the fence in the fourth round, and Hunt took full advantage of that. The body shots Hunt landed on Lewis started to add up from the third round on.
The loss is Lewis' first since June 2015. Coming into the fight, he was the No. 8-ranked heavyweight, according to ESPN.com.
For Hunt, it was the 10th knockout win of his career. He rebounded from a knockout loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 209 in March.
"Anybody [ranked] above me," said Hunt, when asked whom he wants to fight next. "If it ended for me tonight, so be it. I've had a lot of fun, traveled the world. But it looks like I can continue."
Brunson scores quick knockout in first
In his first appearance since a controversial decision loss to Anderson Silva, middleweight Derek Brunson (17-5) knocked out Daniel Kelly with a straight left hand in 76 seconds.
Brunson, of Wilmington, North Carolina, is no stranger to first-round finishes. His past five UFC wins, in fact, have all come via knockout in the opening round.
It was a nice bounce-back performance for Brunson, who was coming off back-to-back defeats to Silva and Robert Whittaker. He called out Antonio Carlos Jr. immediately after the victory.
"I was cheated in my last fight," Brunson said. "I'm sure you guys saw with Anderson Silva. I come out and finish guys, make sure it doesn't happen again."
For Kelly (13-2), it was an unceremonious end to a four-fight win streak, which included upset victories over Carlos Jr., Chris Camozzi and former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.
Hooker delivers highlight reel KO over veteran Pearson
Auckland native Daniel Hooker (14-7) demolished Ross Pearson with a perfect counter right knee at 3:02 of the second round of their lightweight bout.
Hooker, of Auckland, threw the knee as Pearson (19-14) bullied forward with a left hook. Pearson's punch landed, but he caught the worse of the exchange, as Hooker's knee landed flush under his chin and knocked out his mouthpiece.
Hooker landed one additional hammerfist on the floor before the referee intervened. It was a violent finish to a high-paced fight, which saw both lightweights bloodied early in the second round.
Hooker, 27, improved to 4-3 in the UFC. Pearson, 32, has suffered four consecutive defeats and has four career losses by knockout.