Kiwi Dan Hooker's return to the featherweight division hasn't gone to plan, dispatched by local Arnold Allen via first-round technical knockout in their co-main event showdown at the UFC Fight Night at London.
The bout exploded to life after the first minute, as the pair traded blows in a torrid exchange that saw both briefly drop to a knee, but Allen emerge with the upper hand.
The Englishman unleashed on 'The Hangman', who somehow survived the initial onslaught, but was wobbled moments later by a combination punctuated by a head kick, opening the way for Allen to swarm with shots and force the referee to intervene, sending the packed O2 Arena into hysterics.
Hooker, 32, competed at his original UFC weight class for the first time since November 2016, looking to recapture some momentum, after a challenging past two years.
The defeat is his fourth in his past five bouts, four of which ended in the opening round.
In the main event, heavyweight hometown hero Tom Aspinall locked up a slick kimura to earn a submission victory over Russian Alexander Volkov.
Earlier, lightweight Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann ensured a memorable night for the British faithful, both claiming stoppage finishes.
'The Baddy' sunk in a rear-naked choke to beat Rodrigo Vargas, while McCann stole the show with a spectacular spinning backfist to beat Luana Carolina.
