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Aussie Mark Hunt on the verge of history

Roar Rookie
15th November, 2014
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Mark Hunt will be in action at UFC 193.
Roar Rookie
15th November, 2014
11

Tomorrow afternoon, Mark Hunt will attempt to become the first Australian-based fighter to claim a UFC championship.

Hunt is set to meet Brazilian standout Fabricio Werdum in front of 20,000 people at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico for the UFC Interim-Heavyweight Championship.

He replaces injured Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. Velasquez succumbed to a knee injury and had to withdraw from his title defence with Werdum.

‘The Super Samoan’ has agreed to the bout on just three weeks’ notice. He is a heavy underdog against the Brazilian Werdum, who is a world champion jiu-jitsu fighter.

Werdum has has also honed his striking skills to become one of the most well rounded martial artists in the UFC.

Hunt has had virtually no time to prepare for Werdum, he has only been able to cut weight to make the heavyweight limit and adjust to the high Mexican altitude.

The long road for the Super Samoan
This historic occasion is the culmination of a 20-year fighting career that has seen Hunt compete on some of combat sport’s greatest stages. From K-1 kickboxing to pride fighting championships, he has done it all.

His extraordinary accomplishments, which include being the first and only man outside of Europe to win the prestigious K-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix kickboxing title, have gone relatively unnoticed in his native New Zealand.

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Nonetheless, he has retained a strong following among Aussie fight fans. In December last year, he sold out the Brisbane Entertainment Centre and put on one of the most epic contests the UFC heavyweight division has ever seen – a five round war with Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva.

He has faced a tumultuous journey in his 20-year fighting career. Following the UFC’s acquisition of Pride FC, the company attempted to buy Hunt out of his contract. At 35 years old, he was riding a four-fight losing streak and his stock wasn’t very high.

Fighting was all Mark Hunt knew and he chose to see out the rest of his contract with the UFC and achieve his goal of becoming the greatest fighter in the world.

Through his enduring self-belief, Hunt has achieved career resurgence and is now one of the biggest stars in the UFC. He is famed among fans for his walk away knockouts and care free attitude during his post-fight interviews.

Although he is a heavy underdog in this fight, one should be advised against writing Mark Hunt off. He is a world class kick boxer with a chin of steel who has one of the most incredible knock-out highlight reals in MMA. If he can keep the fight standing, history may well be made on November 15 in Mexico City.

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