What you see is what you get with Mark Hunt.
The storied heavyweight slugger brings a straightforward approach to his action inside the Octagon, and the New Zealand native never makes any bones about what he’s showing up to do. The former K-1 World Grand Prix champion’s mission once the cage door closes is to settle the opposition in whatever fashion presents itself, and it’s a task he’s accomplished time and time again—often in brutal fashion.
Knocking grown men unconscious is just what Hunt does, and there may be no other fighter quite as gifted in this regard than “The Super Samoan.”
That said, Roy Nelson has also proven extremely capable in the drubbing department as “Big Country” has also settled a collection of notable fighters with one swing of his brick-heavy overhand right. Both men have long been heralded for their respective talents, and fans have clamored for years to see the two heavyweight wrecking machines go toe-to-toe inside the Octagon.
As it turns out, the fighting faithful will get their wish Saturday at Fight Night 52 in Saitama, Japan, when two of the premier knockout artist in the fight game finally step in to determine supremacy. The matchup has become one of the most highly anticipated tilts of 2014, and Hunt can’t wait to get out there and trade bombs with his bearded challenger.
While there is a tremendous amount of mutual respect between the two men, make no mistake about it: Hunt is coming to put Nelson to sleep and certainly expects the Las Vegas native to be looking to do the same on fight night.
“I’m looking forward to Saturday night and seeing what Roy has,” Hunt told Bleacher Report. “I’m going to try to move forward with my dream and goals, and I’m excited about it.
“I like Roy as a person and as a fighter. But regardless of how I feel about him, I am a martial artist and I am going to treat him with respect. Then I’m going to get in there and do my job on Saturday night because that is what it is. I’m going to go in there and try to put him out because that’s what fighting is, and afterwards I will buy him a beer. Whether I put him out or he puts me out, that’s the way it should be.
“We both go out there and fight,” he added. “That’s what we do. We are just fighters. I’m not there to out-point anyone. I’m coming in there to put you down, and I believe Roy is up to doing the same. On Saturday night, we are going to bang it out until the wheels fall off. Well … one of our wheels are going to fall off.”
In addition to his excitement about mixing it up with Nelson, the 40-year-old South Auckland native is equally pumped to be fighting in Japan once again. When he steps in on Saturday night, it will Mark Hunt’s third showing on Japanese soil under the UFC banner, with his two previous efforts resulting in a blistering stoppage of Cheick Kongo and a violent starching of Stefan Struve back in March 2013.
Nevertheless, Fight Night 52 will be the first time Hunt is slotted in the main event for a UFC card on Japanese soil. “The Land of the Rising Sun” is where Hunt’s career and notoriety for salting worthy challengers were initially forged, and he’s grateful to be able to give the Japanese crowd another show.
“It feels really good to be headlining a UFC card, and to be doing it in Japan is something I’m honored to do,” Hunt said. “I built my career in Japan, and it’s like my home. The whole Asian area is like my home really (laughs) so I feel honored and blessed.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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