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Sydney's Mark Hunt to fight on Japan's UFC main card

Roar Guru
16th September, 2014
2

One of the great cult heroes of the fight game is a proud Sydneysider.

Mark Hunt is a 40-year-old who has been prize fighting combat sports for two decades.

He first came to people’s attention in 2001 at the K1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, when he took Dutch kickboxing legend Ernesto Hoost to a close decision.

He then rose to stardom by winning the 2001 K1 World Grand Prix Finals as a late card entry. His brawls with world-class fighters Ray Sefo and Jerome Lebanner have become the stuff of legend.

Hunt became the opposite of your traditional padded champion. He saw himself as the best fighter in the world and went out to prove it.

When he began fighting in mixed martial arts, Hunt had a series of wins in the Japanese based PRIDE promotion until his purple patch went sour with a series of five losses.

Part of this can be attributed to Hunt’s ground game, as he was typically submitted, but it can also be attributed to the murderers’ row of opponents he faced. Although he was still learning the sport of MMA, he tested himself on the deepest waters against the very best heavyweights in the world in their prime, including Josh Barnett, Alister Overeem and Fedor Elimenko.

When the UFC bought PRIDE, Mark was unwanted, yet he famously waved his contract and insisted on fighting a fix five fight contract rather than be paid out.

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“I still thought I was the best fighter in the world,” he said.

After an embarrassing first loss in the UFC to Sean Mcorckle that Hunt called the lowest point in his career, the Kiwi staged a mythical career comeback.

He returned to stardom in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with Dana White calling him one of the greatest stories in sports.

Hunt went on a tear to get back in contention by knocking out top 10 fighters Stefan Struve and Chiek Congo. He booked a fight former UFC champion Junior Dos Santos, and in an amazing fight, Dos Santos, largely acknowledged as the best heavyweight technical striker, refused to stand and trade with Hunt.

The manner he went about his business and the mettle he showed saw his stock continue to rise with UFC brass.

November last year saw Hunt return home and in Brisbane he quickly established himself as the most popular fighter in the heavyweight division. He logged a draw after a five-round war with Brazilian monster Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva in a fight that Dana White called the greatest heavywieght fight in history. Not bad for an over-the-hill has-been.

On Saturday Hunt faces Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson. Both men have adamantium chins and knockout power to run a small city. Although their appeal to the punter is how they exude everyman qualities, it’s these extraordinary qualities that terrorise the very best in the big man division.

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Fighting in Japan for the 14th time will feel like a home fight for Hunt – hopefully he can get job done in such a fashion that we could see him as a late entry to the Sydney UFC card.

Whether it’s the compelling turnaround, the dry one-word answers in interviews, the walk off knock-outs, or the fact that he is a loving dad, there is something eminently likeable about Mark Hunt.

Tune in on Saturday to see a real-life super hero carry the flag for Aussies and Kiwis.

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