At 41-years-young, Aussie smashing machine Mark Hunt kept his title hopes alive on Sunday, catching former UFC champion Frank Mir on the end of a powerful right-hand.
It’s an unwritten rule in mixed martial arts that you never let a hurt opponent off the hook. When they go down, you finish the job as quickly as possible.
That rule does not apply to Hunt, the king of the one-punch, walk-off KO.
The Sydney-based kickboxer flattened Mir, before casually strolling away. “He wasn’t there, so I just left it.” Hunt later explained at the post-fight press conference. “He wasn’t there. He was out, somewhere else.”
When the brick-fisted fighter spoke to The Roar prior to Sunday’s knockout win, he made his intentions for the future clear. He plans to add a UFC title to his trophy cabinet before he hangs up his gloves.
“I want more fights,” he said. “The only way to get the title shot is to keep winning. Ideally, I’d like to keep fighting if I’m not injured and build my record. Even if I’m not ready to be fighting, I’ll be fighting. It’s all about creating the opportunities I like to have.”
The New Zealand-born slugger was considered a fighter past his expiration date by almost every mixed martial arts expert following a gruesome one-sided loss to Stipe Miocic last May, but Hunt has once again made critics look foolish, rebounding to score back-to-back first-round knockout wins.
Now the eighth-ranked heavyweight in the world, Hunt is one impactful win away from entering the championship discussions again, so let’s look at his two best options moving forward.
Josh Barnett:
In the dozens of interviews I have conducted with Hunt over the years, I don’t think one has gone by without the champion kickboxer uttering the words “I’ve never lost a rematch.”
It’s like a badge of honour for Hunt, who is always lobbying for a return match with those who have bested him.
One of the opponents on that list is Barnett, a big-bearded former UFC champion who submitted Hunt in the quarter-finals of a 2006 tournament in Japan.
A decade later, both Hunt and Barnett are old men who have found continued success in a young mans game. They’ve both faced a murderer’s row of elite heavies and are still relevant past 35, sitting pretty in the bottom half of the top ten.
Since Barnett doesn’t have an opponent locked up right now, and Hunt seemingly exited the main event fight in Brisbane without a scratch, this heavyweight clash could realistically be a solid addition to July’s UFC 200 pay-per-view event.
Junior dos Santos:
Dos Santos is scheduled to face streaking American veteran Ben Rothwell in a little under a fortnight in Croatia.
Rothwell is on a four-fight winning streak – with two knockouts, two submissions – and would have an incredibly strong case for a title shot if he adds dos Santos’ name to his already impressive resume.
The future isn’t as clear for the former Brazilian champion, though. Dos Santos has gone 3-3 in his last six fights, most recently getting knocked out by terrifying Dutch kickboxer Alistair Overeem.
If the 32-year-old veteran succeeds in Croatia, he would still be a few wins away from a title shot so a fight against Hunt makes a lot of sense.
Not to mention, dos Santos already holds a win over Hunt, and you know how the Sydneysider feels about rematches.
UFC Australia’s Director of Operations Tom Wright confirmed the promotion will return Down Under later this year.
Hunt is a proven headliner in this nation, and a return match against the Brazilian bomber dos Santos is a main event fight that would make fans flock to an arena in any state.
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