Before the fight, their was anxiety regarding the weight issue of Maurice "Mighty Mo" Hooker (26-0, 17 KO's), but their was no doubt of the heart of a champion.
Mighty Mo came out calm and fired back as Mikkell Les Pierre (21-1, 10 KO's) came out pressing the champion in the early rounds.
At the end of round three, Lespierre shook his head at "Mighty Mo" after he was hit with several punches by the champion. But we know what that meant, it meant he felt Mo's punching power.
After a left and a glancing big right hand in the fourth round, Lespierre hit the canvas, but the referee mistakenly did not call the knockdown. But it was clear after the slow motion review, it was a knockdown.
In the fifth round, Mighty Mo's mouthpiece came out, but he followed up with a huge right hand at the end of the round that shook Lespierre back and he was saved by the bell.
At the beginning of the seventh round, "Mighty Mo's nose was seen bleeding as he was in the corner before the eighth round. In the eighth round, "Mighty Mo" landed a nice combination and several punches to the body of his opp0nent and finished the round with confidence.
Lespierre up to this point, was hanging in there against a weight-drained champion, and suddenly in an exchange in the ninth round, "Mighty Mo" landed a huge left hook to the body that dropped LesPierre and he winced in pain until the 9 second count and got up. To LesPierre' credit he made it until the end of the round.
The final three rounds had LesPierre on notice that he was clearly behind on all the cards, and "Mighty Mo" peppered him with jabs and right hands until the final bell.
"Mighty Mo" Hooker went on to defend his belt for the second time in hostile territory on his first appearance on DAZN.
At the post-fight interview, "Mighty Mo" said "I give myself a C- in my performance," I wasn't good but I had to push. Look, you live and you learn. If you judge me from this fight, you better not get in the ring thinking the same thing because I am coming for you."
He also called out England's Jack Catteral (23-0, 12 KOs) from inside the ring, his mandatory challenger, who was sitting ringside.