It was the do or die match for heavyweight fighter Mark Hunt. A defeat by Ben Rothwell at UFC 135 in Denver, Colorado over the weekend could have potentially seen his contract torn up by the higher powers of the UFC. Luckily for the Super Samoan this was not to be his fate.
Let it be known that I have an enormous amount of respect for Hunt. I have followed the progress of his career over the last few years so it would have not come as a surprise that I, like many others had my money on the Super Samoan for a KO.
Although Hunt fights out of Sydney, Australia I did not back him out of patriotism rather because I wholeheartedly believed in his abilities to deliver.
While Hunt’s win over Rothwell was a convincing one, I couldn’t help but feel a little short-changed after the match.
What is my qualm, you ask?
Before I go on to explain, please note that I am not taking away anything from Hunt’s win. He fought his heart out, putting up one hell of a gutsy performance and he was most certainly the deserved winner.
It was one point in particular that had me at the edge of my seat screaming at the television – screaming out of somewhere in between disappointment, confusion and disbelief.
That point was half way through the third round where Hunt landed a massive right hand on Rothwell and walked away thinking that was the end of the fight. To Hunt’s amazement Rothwell somehow found it in himself to remain standing on jelly legs.
Hunt stood there with hands on hips, surprised at the punishment that Rothwell had absorbed.
That body language right there, to me, was the moment he gave up the fight.
So my question is, why didn’t the Super Samoan pounce on Rothwell full knowing that he was rattled and debatably at his most vulnerable?
If you are wondering if I have taken the altitude factor in into consideration, I have. There is no doubt in my mind that both fighters were immensely fatigued affected by the altitude.
It was clear that Rothwell was in a much worse state than Hunt and that was evident when he physically had to be carried back to his corner at the end of round two.
Perhaps Hunt knew that he had done enough to win the fight. However, for someone who has their job on the line, I would expect that leaving the decision in the hands of the judges would not an option.
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