Once nearly cast out, Hunt savors title shot
Mark Hunt used to be like an annoying cousin to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The mixed martial arts organization had a connection to him, but it didn't really want to recognize it.
The UFC inherited Hunt's contract after it purchased rival promotion Pride in 2007. By 2009, his record showed five consecutive losses, and his rotund physique opened up questions about his commitment and ability to make the heavyweight limit.
But Saturday at UFC 180 in Mexico City (10 p.m. ET, pay-per-view), Hunt (10-8-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) meets Fabricio Werdum (18-5-1, 6-2) for the promotion's interim heavyweight title.
Five years ago, UFC executives wanted nothing more than to buy out Hunt's contract and send him on his way. Now he's preparing for a title bout. Hunt, 40, understood the reasoning behind the UFC's original reservations, but he refused to accept a payoff.
"No one likes to be told they're not good enough, and that's basically what they were saying to me," Hunt tells Paste BN Sports. "I didn't like that because I still felt I'm one of the best in the world. I don't blame them, because I was coming off a six-fight losing streak, but it wasn't an easy pill to swallow — especially when you've spent most of your life as a fighter."
Hunt, who's from New Zealand, made his UFC debut in September 2010 but was submitted by Sean McCorkle in 63 seconds. It was Hunt's sixth defeat in a row, and the nature of the finish indicated he could be one-and-done inside the octagon.
But the UFC gave Hunt a last chance, and he hasn't looked back. He got his first UFC victory his next time out and has four more since then. Now he's in position to become a titleholder.
An injury to champion Cain Velasquez opened to door for Hunt to step in against Werdum. With less than four weeks to prepare, the circumstances aren't ideal. But it's not the first time the odds have been stacked against Hunt.
"You have to just deal with the circumstances you're given," Hunt says. "That's the case in life. I dealt with the circumstances I was given when the UFC didn't want me and I turned a negative into a positive and moved on.
"I'm dealing with it in a positive way and I'm turning a bad situation into a good situation."
Career peaks and valleys are common, but Hunt's rise to prominence is a unique one.
"He's one of the greatest stories in sports," UFC President Dana White says. "He had a losing record in Pride, and we didn't want to bring him into the UFC. He proved us wrong. He proved everybody who doubted him wrong."
Hunt might be the only person who was convinced of his abilities from the beginning. If naysayers remain, Hunt says he'll silence them at UFC 180.
"I shouldn't even be here by these statistics on the book," Hunt says. "I'm too old, too fat, and I shouldn't even be doing any of these things. From an unwanted fighter to fighting for a world title, here I am. I'm a little, old, fat hillbilly knocking on the door of the UFC world championship."