UFC San Antonio: Kiwi star Dan Hooker bounces back with huge knockout (VIDEO)

New Zealand lightweight Dan "The Hangman" Hooker bounced back into the win column in spectacular style with a huge knockout of fellow lightweight contender James Vick in San Antonio, Texas.

Both men were looking to bounce back after recent defeats, but it was Hooker who made the decisive statement when he landed a perfectly-placed left hook on the chin of "The Texecutioner" to score a first-round knockout win and declare his return to prominence in the UFC lightweight division once again.

The pair exchanged strikes throughout the opening two minutes of the contest, but it was Hooker whose striking would prove superior as he made the breakthrough at the mid-way point in the round.

The Kiwi feinted with a right hook, then switched targets and came around the corner with a huge left hook that dropped Vick to his back.

Hooker swiftly moved in and connected with a couple of big ground strikes as the bout was waved off to give Hooker a huge stoppage win.

After the fight he demanded to be put on the October 5 card that will feature his teammate Israel Adesanya's middleweight title challenge, and called out the UFC lightweight division to see who wanted to "man up" and face him next.