Retired UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt has consistently been one of the shortest heavyweights to compete in MMA, standing just 5’10”, yet somehow the New Zealander still needed to cut weight in order to make the 265-pound limit.
That wasn’t a requirement for his heavyweight boxing match against former Rugby star Paul Gallen, where Hunt lumbered to the cage at a super-thick 280 pounds. After six rounds of back-and-forth action at Bankwest Stadium, the “Super Samoan” lost by way of unanimous decision.
Gallen improved to 10-0-1 as a pugilist while Hunt dropped to 0-2-1.
Hunt, who turns 47 in March, parted ways with UFC after dropping three straight. While he teased a return to competition in Japan, not much has been seen or heard from the heavyweight Kiwi in the last two years, outside of his UFC lawsuit.
As for Gallen, he wants to shut down another UFC superstar.
“I’ve got nothing but respect for Rob – I know him reasonably well – but I’m just going to beat him,” Gallen said about former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (via MMA Junkie). “I’m going to beat him like I beat Mark. I’m going to train hard and prepare for it. I’m going to have a good game plan. I’m just going to get in there and smash him.”
Fat chance of that happening so long as “The Reaper” remains under contract to UFC.