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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Hatsu Hioki's first fight in the UFC wasn't his most impressive performance, and led many to wonder whether or not he was deserving of his spot as the second best featherweight in the world. His second UFC appearance, in his home country of Japan on Saturday at UFC 144, showed just why he had that distinction in the first place.
Hioki put forth an excellent three-round performance against Bart Palaszewski to take a unanimous decision. The bout saw Hioki utilize his reach to keep Palaszewski off balance in the striking game, then completely take control with an excellent grappling game once the fight hit the ground. Palaszewski just never got comfortable, and Hioki was dominant on the ground.
The win was Hioki's sixth straight, and likely sets him up for a UFC Featherweight Championship bout against Jose Aldo later this year.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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