Mark Hunt

manschesthair_utd wrote:what a shit interview!

As we get closer and closer to the upcoming UFC 119 event, the UFC seems to be putting a lot of effort into minimizing the debut of former PRIDE FC fighter Mark Hunt. Ever since it was announced that Hunt had signed to the sport’s biggest MMA promotion, the consensus has been that it’s a bad move and makes the UFC look terrible. UFC President Dana White in particular vehemently asserts that Hunt would not be fighting in the promotion under normal circumstances, but that the UFC “owes” Hunt some fights stemming all the way back to the UFC’s 2007 buyout of PRIDE. But is Hunt’s debut being treated too harshly? Is Hunt not getting enough credit? Here are my thoughts.


I’ll start with the positives first: Mark Hunt is an entertaining fighter. He’s lost a lot, but he always seems to go down in spectacular fashion. We’re talking about a guy who bum-rushed Melvin Manhoef, Melvin Manhoef of all people, because he wanted to give the fans a show. He’s fought fighters from all different styles and disciplines, and he always forces them to engage. If Mark Hunt flops out of the UFC, he won’t do it by going quietly into the night. Hunt’s main goal is to finish or get finished, and in an era that increasingly favors fighters who play it safe and grind out decisions, you have to respect him for his tenacity.

But that’s the problem: today’s generation of MMA athletes are beginning to realize the strengths of playing it safe, forcing your opponent into your area of expertise, and then dominating them long enough to grind out a decision. Hunt’s incessant need to entertain is the reason he’s lost so many times. In the here and now, flashy and reckless fighters don’t win fights. And if they do, it’s only until they meet a fighter that can take them out of their element. In today’s world, you either need to be supremely technical with your flashy moves (Jon Jones comes to mind), or you need to abandon them entirely. Hunt should be applauded for trying to make his fights entertaining, but he should also be criticized for taking a lot of unnecessary risks.

That’s the main reason he’s lost five fights in a row, and that’s an atrocious record to have as you head into the biggest MMA promotion in the world. It just makes the UFC look bad. You really can’t fault Dana White for trying to distance himself as much as possible from a man that hasn’t won a fight since 2006. So of course Mark Hunt is carrying a Scarlet Letter with him when he enters the Octagon. How can he not?

The only real redeeming factor about those five losses is that they were against top-quality opponents. These aren’t rookies Hunt lost to. Since his last win in 2006, Hunt has lost to Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem, Melvin Manhoef, and Gegard Mousasi. I don’t think there’s any shame in losing to any of those five men. Losing to them all in a row does carry some shame, but I think that has to do with the losing streak in and of itself, not with the quality of names he’s been fighting. Mark Hunt has lost five in a row, but he’s lost against some of the best competition in the world.

So, in the end, where should the fans stand in their opinion on Mark Hunt? It’s tough to say. Is it better to fail spectacularly or succeed boringly? Is it better to pad out your record with relatively easy wins, or fight the best and lose? Personally, based on all he’s done in the past, I think Mark Hunt at least deserves a chance to impress in the UFC. He’s going to debut whether Dana White likes it or not, whether anyone likes it or not for that matter. What should matter right now is what Mark Hunt will do with the opportunity he’s been given, and right now, that’s all I care about.

But what about you, fans and friends? What are your feelings on the impending UFC debut of Mark Hunt?

rudeboyben84 wrote:

Seriously people talk about K-1 level, dude was a K-1 champ. People were pumped for Toney coming to UFC, Hunt would beat him on the feet. Hunt poses a bigger threat to whoever stands with him than Toney did and we havnt seen him in shape before where as Toney was in just about his worst career shape.