7:05pm: Thanks for joining us for play-by-play updates from the main card at UFC 219. Highlight of the night no doubt was Dan Hooker's submission win over Mark Diakiese in the third round. We had a war in the main event with Cyborg retaining the belt and we saw just how dangerous Khabib is with a dominant win over Barboza. McGregor beware, that is for sure.
Cyborg (C) vs Holm - Cyborg wins via unanimous decision
Round five - More of the same in the final round as we've had in the previous two. Cyborg picking her shots effectively and while Holm seems as strong as the Brazillian, the difference in power is immense. Holm is able to once again clinch up with Cyborg on the cage but she is out of time. Round ends with Cyborg the stonger finisher of the two. The warriors embrace after the hooter. What a battle. You've got to think the belt won't be changing waists.
Round four - Cyborg awfully close to finding a home for her head-kick as Holm narrowly avoids another attempt. Holm seems to be fading but continues to try for the highlight-reel knock-out. She now clinches up again with the champ and has her agains the cage, but only momentarily. Hooter sounds with Cyborg finishing the stronger of the two. Another round for the champion. Could well be 2-2 heading into the last.
Round three - Cyborg lands a nice knee to the body after a rare clinch from a dominant position. Cyborg catching Holm more and more in the exchanges as the challenger's eye seems to be swelling up. Cyborg landing some heavy shots and is getting closer and closer with the head-kicks. Round ends with Holm in real trouble! She seemed to wince from a Cyborg punch. No doubt the champ won that round.
Round two - More of the same in the second but Holm does seem to be catching more punches on the way in than in the first round, she'll have to be careful. Cyborg controlling the centre of the octagon now, but Holm grabs her and pushes her towards the cage in a clinch. Holm showing incredible strength against a very strong Cyborg. Every time the Brazillian throws a punch, Holm latches her up and controls her. Rounds end with Holm having Cyborg against the cage. Another 10-9 for the challenger.
Round one - Holm throwing the head-kicks early but Cyborg latches on and the two clinch up against the cage. The challenger picking her shots well and Cyborg seems to just be taking her time in the five-round bout. Holm the more aggressive of the two and that's the way the round finishes. Tough to score, but 10-9 for Holm.
6:31pm - Buffer doing his business and we're all set for the finale! Cyborg the favourite, but Holm is a straight killer! Here we go!
6:26pm - The champ making the walk to the octagon. Some quite interesting notes she was hitting as she made her way out.
6:25pm - Holm making her way out. The woman responsbile for derailing the Ronda Rousey hype train. Can she become champion for the second time in the UFC?
6:20pm - Now for the main event of the evening with Cris Cyborg up against Holly Holm. Battle of two absolute destroyers on the feet. Should be fireworks from the very start.
6:15pm - Khabib immediately calls out Tony Ferguson and reckons he didn't finish the fight because he wanted ring-time after being injured for so long. Incredibly charismatic fellow.
Nurmagomedov vs Barboza - Nurmagomedov wins via unanimous decision
Round three - More of the same in the final round with Khabib closing the distance with ease and continuing to pile on the pressure with punches. Got to give credit to Edson for hanging in there. Edson lands a couple of spinning kicks on a somewhat tiring Khabib, but the Russian does what he does and takes him down once again. Hooter sounds and that's about as impressive win as you can register without finishing your opponent.
Round two - Barboza already has swelling and is bleeding from his eyes. Khabib is just a monster. Barboza is somehow hanging in there but the end seems near. It's like watching his dad wrestle with his son, it's that much of a difference in skill and and strength. Hooter goes with Khabib on top and in utter-control of the fight. There is no coming back from those two rounds. The Russian is just a different beast.
Round one - Barboza immediately switching up the kicks but Khabib's relentless pressure ends with a takedown. He's appying a lot of pressure from the time with very little space to work with for Barboza from the bottom. Khabib is absolutely mauling the Brazillian with just a barrage of punches. Barboza looks helpless as he looks to just survive and make it to the next round. Hooter goes much to the relief of Barboza.
5:50pm - Now time co-maint event of the evening, Khabib Nurmagomedov up against Edson Barboza. The two are out and we're underway!
5:40pm - Hooker has his time with Joe Rogan and immediately makes a plea to Dana White and co. for a spot on the UFC Perth card in six weeks time. What a legend. We have a star on our hands ladies and gentlemen.
Hooker vs Diakiese - Hooker wins by guillotine choke
Round three - Diakiese finding Hooker's chin easily now with a some big left hooks to the Kiwi's jaw. Hooker scores the takedown and quickly makes the Briton tap through a guillotine choke. Diakiese tapped within seconds of Hooker securing the choke.
Round two - Hooker's teep kicks struggling to find a home as Diakiese catches another and deliveres a nasty low leg kick. Hooker has Diakiese up against the cage in a clinch after eating a couple nice fists by the Briton. Hangman has his back and a rear-naked-choke is a possibility. Crowd booing what's been a great tractical fight, but it is Vegas after all. Diakiese does extremely well to wiggle out and turn the position and ends up on top of Hooker at the end of the round. Another round for Hooker for mine.
Round one - Both fighters more than happy to stay on the outside. Hooker the taller man and has the longer reach - not sure keeping the distance is Diakiese's best bet. Hooker feints and draws out a spinning kick from Diakiese, nicely done by the Hangman. Hooker is really reading Diakiese's unusual techniques very well. The Briton catches a couple of the Kiwis' kicks and the Hangman does well to stay on his feet. Hooker scores a takedown late in the first and that's a 10-9 round for the Kiwi!
5:24pm: Bruce Buffer doing his thing as he introduces both fighters. Hooker the underdog according to the odds. And we're underway!
5:22pm: Hooker coming out to David Dallas' 'Runnin'' - Kiwi through and through! We're only moments away!
5:20pm: Diakiese making his way out first full of praise from the commentators for his power and speed.
5:18pm: Hooker's looking to build on his impressive win over UFC vet, Ross Pearson while Diakiese is coming off a loss and will be desperate for the win.
5:15pm: Up next is New Zealand's very own, Dan Hooker up against Marc Diakiese!
5:12pm: Those last two rounds could of gone either way. Calvillo seemed surprised with the verdict.
Calvillo vs Esparza - Esparza wins via unanimous decision
Round three - Calvillo has Esparza up against the cage before the latter finds a way to espcape her clutches. You've got to think both will push the pace hard with the second round being such a close one. Calvillo continuing to control the centre of the octagon but has been caught a few times by her opponent. Esparza catches Calvillo with a hard left after the two clinched up. Esparza the stronger finisher of the two with a flurry of punches before the hooter. Again, tough to score. I'd be temped to say 10-9 for Esparza.
Round two - The exchanges on the feet are evenly matched as the two continue to fire hard with their right. Calvillo is controlling the centre of the octagon and seems to be dictating the pace of the fight. Esparza scores the takedown, but Calvillo immediately makes her way back to the her feet. A much harder round to score. Calvillo just takes it for mine 10-9.
Round one - Esparza immediately finds the chin of Calvillo but she takes it in her stride as the two both seem more than keen to throw the right hand. Calvillo scores the takedown and works from half-guard. Esparza tries to secure an arm-bar but loses it as Calvillo continues to apply the pressure from the top. Calvillo looked set to finish the fight as she found full-mount but Esparza manages to flip the exchance and end up on top as the hooter sounds. Nonetheless, a 10-9 round for Calvillo.
4:47pm - Calvillo coming out to 'Jump' and the audience approves. We're set for fireworks.
4:45pm - Esparza making her way to the octagon. She's the ninth-ranked women's strawweight and has actually beaten current strawweight champion Rose Namajunas previously.
4:40pm - First fight of the main card out the way and we now look to the first of two female bouts with Cynthia Calvillo taking on Carla Esparza.
Condit vs Magny - Magny wins via unanimous decision
Round three - Condit needs a finish you would think if he's to win the fight. Condit's coaches relayed those thoughts and the American has a lot more bounce in his step than the previous two rounds. Condit's leg kicks struggling to land as Magny catches most of his attempts. Magny using his reach advantage so well and is keeping Magny on the outside with constant pressure. Condit can't close the distance at all and is starting to tire. Another takedown for Magny as he moves into side-control. Hooter sounds and that looks like a 30-27 win over Magny. Decision to come.
Round two - Magny continuing to apply the pressure as Condit takes the more cautious and patient approach. Magny once again has Condit against the cage, before taking him down and moving into Condit's guard. Magny pushing the pace with his jab and ends the round on top of Condit as the hooter goes. Another 10-9 round for Magny.
Round one - Magny takes Condit down after a kick can only find some air. He manages to get back to his feet but Magny is controlling the fight with Condit's back to the cage. The two finally seperate with Magny seemingly setting the pace and distance. Magny countering well off Condit's attempted swings and is controlling the centre of the octagon. Nice flurry towards the end of the round for Condit but Newshub score it 10-9 for Magny.
4:17pm - Magny has an incredible four-and-a-half inch reach advantage over Condit.
4:16pm - Condit now making the walk as the commentators continue to praise the veteran's experience in the sport.
4:15pm - 'The Natural Born Killer' has 40 MMA fights and will look to snap his two-fight losing streak.
His opponent, Magny is now making his way to the octagon. He is currently ranked 12th in the welterweight division.
4:05pm - Thanks for joining us for the main card of UFC 219 in Las Vegas. First up we got former welterweight champion, Carlos Condit up against up-and-comer Neil Magny.
UFC 219 Main Fight Card:
Women's Featherweight Championship – Cris Cybord vs Holly Holm
Lightweight – Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Edson Barboza
Lightweight – Dan Hooker vs Marc Diakiese
Women's Strawweight – Cynthia Calvillo vs Carla Esparza
Welterweight – Carlos Condit vs Neil Magny
Hello and welcome to live updates from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas where Women's Featherweight champion Cris Cyborg takes on former belt holder Holly Holm at UFC 219.
Lightweight challenger Khabib Nurmagomedov will fight Edson Barboza in the co-main event, while New Zealand's very own Dan Hooker meets Briton Marc Diakiese on the main card.
The 'Hangman' is coming off the biggest win of his career, with a knockout victory over UFC veteran, Ross Pearson, which saw him earn Performance of the Night honours at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt.
While Diakiese suffered the first loss of his MMA career in his last bout, losing a split-decision to Drakkar Klose at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale in July.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, (be sure to refresh your browser) and all the action.
Commentary will start from around 4:00pm (NZT).
In the meantime check out the video above as Hooker talks about the upcoming bout with Diakiese.
Pre-fight banter: 'I'm just coming into my prime' – Hooker ready to shine at UFC 219
Ask rising Kiwi MMA fighter Dan Hooker for a prediction for his upcoming bout against Marc Diakiese at UFC 219 and you're unlikely to receive your typical response.
But then, Hooker isn't your typical mixed martial artist.
"It's like unleashing a bag of cats and determining which way they're going to go. It's just impossible," Hooker told Newshub when presented with that very question.
The 27-year-old is just hours shy of boarding his flight to Las Vegas where he'll appear on the preliminary card of one of the UFC's marquee events of the year.
It doesn’t get too much bigger than New Year's Eve on the strip, where the stage will be set for "The Hangman" to make his biggest statement yet in his bid to move into the upper tier of the promotion's glittering lightweight division.
The demands of the brutal cut down to featherweight are now a distant memory, and it's clear Hooker's newfound home at 155lbs has helped breathe life into his career.
"I feel like I'm just coming into my prime now that I've come back up to lightweight," he admits.
"I just felt all those other fights down at featherweight I wasn't being myself. Those last few kilos were taking that venom from me, taking me, weakening me physically which also impacts you mentally.
"You don’t enjoy the training or the lifestyle, but I feel like it’s a path I had to go through. That’s where my contract was offered and I've shown a lot of growth over my UFC career. But I think came up at the right time."
That decision was emphatically justified with his jaw-dropping finish of veteran Ross Pearson in Auckland in June, where a perfectly-timed flying knee snuffed the light out of the Brit's eyes in a triumphant homecoming.
"That's just me being me. That's just me seven days of the week that’s what I'm like back at lightweight."
The finish earned Hooker a $US50,000 ($NZ70,558) performance bonus and exposed his vast talents to a whole new audience.
Undoubtedly one of 2017's most spectacular KOs, it's also a shining example of the dangers of his eight-point striking style which, when combined with his relentless ground game and expert use of range, poses a serious threat to any fighter across the division.
"I feel like my skills are a level above the others. I feel like I'm more technical and more skilful and because of the development and that growth.
"Put it this way, I wouldn’t want to fight myself. I'm not a fun guy to be in there with.
"I don't get tired, I have many strikes I can knock you out with, and I have many submissions that I can end the fight very quickly with. I'm not overly confident, but I'm very aware of my skills."
His opponent this weekend, Congolese-born Englishman Diakiese, was tagged by the UFC as a rising prospect but hasn't quite reached those expectations since his Octagon debut in October of 2016.
"He throws some flashy kicks, he's got some power with some Kos, but personally I'd class him as a grappler and a wrestler," says Hooker, who believes he has an edge wherever the fight may go.
"If he comes to grapple, I'll grapple him back. I back myself with my grappling, my jiu-jitsu and my wrestling skills, I think I have an advantage there."
Coming off a close split-decision loss in his most recent bout in July, "Bonecrusher" (12-1) is on a path to redemption and has inflicted his own fair share of flashy KOs with his explosive and unorthodox style.
Despite those dangers, his is a challenge Hooker wasn't shy in accepting. He knows no other way.
"All I wanted to do when I was coming up was fight the best guy on the table at the time. I didn’t pick my fights I just wanted the best guy. I always wanted to fight guys that I found challenging.
"I don’t understand going into a fight that you know you're going to win, I don’t really see the point.
"I do it for that feeling when you sign on that line and you get a bit nervous. I love getting a name that makes all the hard training worth it."
While a win would be the ideal way to round out the year for Hooker, it'd also be a fitting way to cap a landmark year for MMA in New Zealand.
Hamilton's Luke Jumeau made an impressive debut outing at the Auckland UFC Fight Night, as did Shane Young in Sydney, while Ev Ting's prolific run in Asia's ONE Championship continues. The human highlight reel that is Hooker's City Kickboxing gymmate Israel Adesanya has also recently inked a deal to appear at February's UFC 221 in Perth.
As far as Hooker himself - who you can almost guarantee will be flying an NZ cape behind him as he makes his entrance this weekend - is concerned, it's the dawn of a golden era for the sport in Aotearoa.
"Every year in this sport I've just seen growth within New Zealand MMA. The local scene back home has just grown better and better," says the staunchly proud Kiwi.
"We'll just improve on that in 2018. I can see New Zealand being a powerhouse on the global stage.
"In the next three or four years you're going to have closer to 10 guys in the UFC….doing well and really just shining for NZ."
And what better platform to perform than New Year's Eve in Sin City, where all eyes of the MMA world will be fixed.
With the Rivera vs Lineker fight scratched at late notice, Hooker's bout has been elevated from the preliminary undercard to the main pay-per-view card. The chance for Hooker to truly put his name in the lights has never been greater.
The same event in 2016, which featured former UFC golden girl Ronda Rousey against Amanda Nunes, reached almost 1.6 million viewers in the US alone, while the main card earned over 1.1 million buys.
Not that Hooker's feeling any pressure. In fact, his primary concern is a lack of it.
"I'm a bit of different character in that I can control the nerves. Sometimes a bit too much that I block them out altogether and then I don’t have enough adrenaline, or I'm not nervous enough."
"When I'm in my hometown and that pressure's there I always seem to do very well, then when that pressure taps turned down I fall asleep a bit and I'm not the fighter I should be.
"I find pressure I entirely controllable, it's not an external thing. You're under as much pressure as you put yourself under."
Either way, you can be certain that when David Dallas' "Runnin'" starts to ring through the T-Mobile Arena you'll see that trademark laser focus and a Dan Hooker who's ready to turn his learnings into results.
"It's just an accumulation of everything. It's an accumulation of my entire career, all those hours in the gym, everything's just coming together now," he exclaims.
"Even though I've taken some losses I wouldn't be the fighter I am now – as composed and as well prepared for the future if I hadn't had gone down that path. I wouldn’t change any of that.
"Everything I went through, all the hard times, all those learning experiences have made me who I am. Maybe I wouldn’t be as mentally strong if I hadn’t gone through all that hardship. Everything kind of comes together at the right time.
"As far as Dan Hooker's concerned, December 31st – the world ends."
Until the UFC's inaugural card in Perth rears its head in February, where he's eager to join stablemate Adesanya on the undercard of NZ-born Robert Whittaker's middleweight title defence.
"If I can get a quick turnaround and jump on Perth I'll be all over it," Hooker says with a grin.
"Give me six weeks, that's a lifetime. Two training camps for one fight? That's a blessing. You don't know how hard these things are."
Newshub.
