New Zealand mixed martial arts fight Mark Hunt has battled back from a six-fight losing streak to record his third straight Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) win.

The 37-year-old former K1 Grand Prix champion knocked out Cheick Kongo of France early in the first round of his UFC 144 fight in Japan.

The win takes Hunt's record in the UFC to 3-1, his only blemish coming in his debut against Sean McCorkle.

His career record has also improved to 8-7, getting him back on the winning side for the first time since 2009.

Prior to his bout with McCorkle, Hunt had lost five straight and if not for an agreement in his contract, he would not have been fighting in the UFC at all.

Following his debut loss, Hunt went on to a knock-out win over Chris Tuchscherer and a decision win over Ben Rothwell before his dominant performance against Kongo.

The UFC is the largest mixed martial arts league in the world and has eight weight divisions ranging from flyweight to heavyweight.