Edson Barboza made a huge statement at UFC Milwaukee on Saturday, as he finished his opponent, Dan Hooker, in a terrifying manner at the event.Barboza entered UFC Milwaukee this weekend in desperate need of a win, as he hadn't won a fight in over a year following back-to-back losses in his previous two fights against Kevin Lee and Khabib Nurmagomedov.That win came against Hooker, and he finished his opponent off in a rather terrifying manner in the middle of the Octagon.As you can see in the video further down in this article, Barboza stopped Hooker with less than three minutes left on the clock in the third round on Saturday night in Milwaukee with a ruthless kick to the stomach.Just a matter of seconds later, the pain set in for Hooker, as he fell to the canvas hunched over, causing the referee to call a stoppage to the fight as Barboza walked away with a victory in hand.

Dana White was present in Milwaukee for Saturday's fights, and he was very impressed with what Junior was able to do inside the Octagon. 

The UFC president also praised Hooker for his efforts, but criticized the referee for what he considered to be a late stoppage.

White said in an interview with Fox Sports after the event, via MMA Fighting: ”He’s got not to be upset about. He showed a ton of toughness tonight, a ton of heart. Fight actually should have been stopped earlier than it was.”

”And Edson Barboza? Wow. That kid came out tonight and made a statement. He’s nasty.”

White also praised Hooker’s toughness, saying he refused crutches and help to the backstage area after the fight, stating also how devastated he was with the loss that snapped his four-fight winning streak at lightweight.

The win for Barboza puts him straight back into contention for a potential UFC Lightweight title shot against Khabib in 2019. This was his seventh finish since joining the UFC, and he now has a professional record of 20-6.