Issue 102
June 2013
From a 5-7 start, Mark Hunt has become a UFC heavyweight title contender. Could ‘The Super Samoan’ be MMA’s Cinderella Man?
Alias: SUPER SAMOAN
Age:39
Pro Debut: 2004
Pro Record: 9-7
Team: AMERICAN TOP TEAM
Division: HEAVYWEIGHT
Height: FIVE-FOOT-TEN
Style: KICKBOXING
Less than three years ago, UFC officials were willing to pay Mark Hunt not to fight. Now he’s one fight away from competing for the promotion’s heavyweight title, and UFC President Dana White says he believes ‘The Super Samoan’ is one of the best stories in all of sports.
“When we bought Pride, he came as part of the Pride deal,” White once explained. “It was back and forth, and basically I was like, ‘You know what? We’ll just pay you off what we owed you in the Pride deal.’ Mark Hunt said, ‘No, I want to come, and I want to fight.’”
So what does it feel like to go from the bottom to the top in such rapid fashion? For the 39-year-old Hunt, it’s just a matter of being where he always felt he belonged.
“I always felt like I was one of the best fighters in the world, if not the best fighter in the world,” Hunt tells Fighters Only. “I’ve always felt that way. If I feel differently, I’m out. That’s probably the day that I’ll walk away and look for a job or something. But that’s not happening to me right now, so I’m going to keep working and get that gold that I want.”
Hunt’s improbable run started with a February 2011 knockout of Chris Tuchscherer. Since that time, Hunt has added wins over Ben Rothwell, Cheick Kongo and, most recently, a spectacular finish of Stefan Struve. The ‘Knockout of the Night’ victory of the seven-foot Dutchman brought the crowd at Japan’s Saitama Super Arena to its feet, and Hunt admits it was a special moment, especially considering his extensive history fighting as both a mixed martial artist and kickboxer in the Land of the Rising Sun.
“It’s always nice to be fighting in Japan,” Hunt says. “I’ve spent so much time there. The crowd makes you feel appreciated. It does. It makes you feel like you’re a top-of-the-world fighter.”
But that special moment could very well pale in comparison to what comes next. With Alistair Overeem forced out of a planned UFC 160 matchup with former heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos, the UFC called on Hunt to step into the open slot. It’s an incredible opportunity for Hunt to score a signature win over one of the world’s best heavyweights.
And if Hunt wins, White admits it would be very difficult to deny him a shot at the title.
“I want to fight the best in the world, and if I can win the title this year, that would be great for me,” Hunt says. “I’m always up for any challenge, and if it happens, it happens. I’m not injured, and if I’m allowed to fight every day when I’m not injured, then I’ll do it. That’s what we have to do. We’re fighters, so we fight.”
For Hunt, it’s that simple. With a disappointing losing streak behind him, the Kiwi credits a new attitude of faith for powering his latest run.
“The truth is now I’ve stepped back from being the driver of my life, and I let God take over my life,” Hunt says. “I’m doing his plan and what he wants me to do. That’s my belief. I’m not saying everybody has to do exactly like I do, but it’s what I personally feel. It’s my faith.”
With that new philosophy in place, Hunt said he realises the preciousness of each and every day. Take nothing for granted. Soak it all in. Enjoy what’s in front of you because nothing else is guaranteed.
“I’m not a fortune teller,” Hunt says. “I can’t look into the future. I take every day as it comes, just like I take every fight as it comes. If it’s my last fight, it’s my last fight.
“As a fighter, we can’t look to the future. We can only look at what we’ve got now. Tomorrow never comes. I say it as a joke, but for some people it doesn’t.”
In 2010, Hunt sported a losing record and hadn’t seen his hand raised in victory in more than four years. But in one of the true feel-good stories in MMA, the twilight of his career has featured a resurgence few thought possible. Fans have openly rallied for Hunt and lobbied for the slugger to be given a shot at a UFC belt.
With a win over Dos Santos, Hunt would earn exactly that, and his current run is a true testament to his incredible durability.
“It’s good to have the support,” Hunt admits. “It’s great to have people consider you one of the top fighters in the sport.
“It hasn’t been an easy road, but I’m not a quitter. I’ve been knocked out so many times, and I’m still coming at you. I’m still here.”
...
