Tough task for Hunt in the cage
New Zealand-born UFC heavyweight star Mark Hunt is heading into tomorrow's main event against Stipe Miocic in Adelaide as the underdog, but that's nothing new.
The 41-year-old Sydneysider has been beating the odds all his life, fighting his way out of a troubled childhood to become the 2001 K1 World Grand Prix kickboxing champion, despite his somewhat unassuming physique.
He transitioned to mixed martial arts soon after conquering kickboxing, but he found himself severely lacking in the grappling department.
Rather than return to kickboxing or call it quits altogether, Hunt knuckled down and started learning the fundamentals of wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
In 2006 in Japan, he fought for the Pride Fighting Championship heavyweight title in front of 50,000 people, against arguably the greatest ever heavyweight, Russian MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko.
He lost that bout by armlock submission after an eight-minute, back-and-forth battle.
By the time the UFC acquired Pride FC, Hunt was on a downward slide.
He was a well-versed, feared striker, but he had an obvious vulnerability to submission grapplers and his lack of microphone skills and lean muscle wasn't helping his cause.
The UFC - now far and away the world's biggest MMA promotion - offered to buy out Hunt's contract and let him walk away with the money, but he refused.
He still believed he had a future in the sport.
Six years later, it's safe to say the fifth-ranked fighter in the world was right, and his millions of adoring fans are testament to that.
Hunt has compiled a 5-3-1 record in the UFC, with four of those wins coming by way of knockout.
The last time The West Australian spoke to Hunt was in December 2013, just days before his epic clash with Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in Brisbane.
At the time, he said he would likely retire if he lost that fight.
Luckily for the fans, it ended in a draw, and Hunt's career outlook has changed.
Yesterday, he said God and the UFC brass were the only forces who could make him step away from the fight game.
"Every fight for me is like my last fight, but I've got four fights left on my contract," he said.
"I'm one of the older guys. I'm 41 now and I feel I'm getting better.
"Of course I feel I'm the best fighter in the world.
"I love fighting and I love entertaining the fans with what I do."
Hunt's most recent fight was an interim title shot against Brazilian Fabricio Werdum, which he lost by TKO in the second round after an utterly dominant first round.
The father-of-six took the interim title shot on just three weeks' notice and had to cut 21kgs to make weight.
If he can get past fourth-ranked Miocic (12-2), he's almost certain to get a shot at the UFC's undisputed heavyweight championship - possibly in Melbourne in November.
Miocic - at 32 years old, 6'4" and 110kg - is younger, taller and leaner than Hunt.
A former NCAA Division 1 wrestler, Golden Gloves boxing champion and promising college baseball player, Miocic is
the athlete and Hunt is the fighter.
The American has the skillset to give the home crowd hero serious problems.
In his fight against former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos late last year, he showed his ability to maintain a stick-and-move gameplan over five rounds, using angles and movement to land more than 100 punches.
He also mixed in a few takedowns, working Dos Santos over on the mat and using his wrestling to tire out the muscle-bound Brazilian.
It was a losing effort, but most fans think that if he can replicate that gameplan, he'll wear Hunt down and earn himself the title shot.
Hunt, of course, has other ideas.
He will draw on his criminally underrated takedown defence to keep the fight standing, where his nuanced, devastating hands should give him an advantage.
But he knows it won't be easy.
"You can't make mistakes at the top end of the division and Stipe's at the top, so it's going to be great to see what happens," he said.
"I'm going to fight my ass off."
In the co-main event, another proud Sydneysider, 24-year-old Robert Whittaker, will go toe-to-toe with 27-year-old Hawaiian Brad Tavares.
Whittaker's first child is due any minute now, so he'll be hoping his wife can hold on until next week.
A win over 14th-ranked Tavares would catapult Whittaker (13-4) up the rankings, and he has the speed and striking prowess to get the job done.
The opening bout of the main card features Victorian rising star Jake Matthews (8-0) against fellow undefeated prospect James "The Texecutioner" Vick (7-0).
The 20-year-old from Melbourne has been training with Bunbury youngster Mitch O'Dowd to replicate the unusually long reach of his American opponent.
Matthews said "the sky was the limit" for WA's O'Dowd, who now holds a 3-0 record as a professional.
UFC Fight Night 65: Miocic vs Hunt marks the first time the UFC has held an event in Adelaide.
The UFC will not consider coming to Perth until the WA government lifts its controversial ban on the "cage" or Octagon, imposed by the Barnett Government in early 2013.
