In the opening round, Hooker deftly navigated the leg locks attempts of the Peruvian grappler, taking his time to make the correct moves and counter-moves to avoid becoming the third straight fight to lose by submission to Puelles. In the second, the veteran lightweight picked at him from range and clearly hurt Puelles, recognizing that each kick to the midsection prompted the young hopeful to collapse to the canvas, trying to catch a breather.
Each time, Hooker would call him back to his feet, stick another kick into his guts, and send him back to the ground. The third time it happened, referee Keith Peterson stepped in to halt the action.
The victory puts Hooker back into the win column after a two-fight skid, while Puelles is handed his first loss since his promotional debut at the TUF: Latin American 3 Finale. | Official Scorecards