Sean McCorkle does not want a rematch.
In the most high-profile win of his career, McCorkle tapped out former Pride and now UFC star Mark Hunt.
The fight lasted only 63 seconds.
“Mark Hunt is the only guy I fought that I didn’t talk trash about,” McCorkle (16-2) said. “I was a huge fan of him. It was surreal to fight him.”
Since losing the fight, Hunt has been on a three-fight winning streak. The former K-1 star defeated Chris Tuchscherer, Ben Rothwell and Cheick Kongo in succession.
“Everybody now is like, ‘you wouldn’t want a rematch?'” McCorkle said. “You’re darn right I wouldn’t want a rematch. What would I have to gain from a rematch? I already beat Mark Hunt, and you’re not going to take it away.
“I’m proud of beating him.”
The fight marked McCorkle’s debut in his short-lived UFC stint. Even after defeating Hunt, the entertaining McCorkle only lasted two more fights with the promotion. He was stopped in both losses.
First, Stefan Struve defeated McCorkle by TKO. Then, Christian Morecraft won by submission.
“I did look really, really bad in the Morecraft fight,” McCorkle said. “He surprised me. I was stunned Morecraft tried to kneebar me. Everything I saw said he had no ground game. I mean, that would be like Brock Lesnar trying a flying triangle.”
Morecraft later got the submission win with a guillotine. A few weeks later, McCorkle’s manager, Monte Cox, got the call from Joe Silva.
“I was completely shocked,” McCorkle said. “The release came about a month after I lost. Chris Tuchscherer was 1-3 in the UFC, and he never officially was released. I think he retired.
“Even now, Christian Morecraft is 1-3 in the UFC, and they didn’t cut him, and he’s been knocked out three times.”
McCorkle was pushed up the card very quickly by the UFC. After defeating Hunt, he was in the co-main event of UFC 124 against Struve.
“I thought everybody over there liked me,” McCorkle said. “Obviously, I say controversial stuff, but it’s never with bad intentions.”
Since being dropped from the UFC, McCorkle has done very well. He’s won six straight fights in the past year, although none of the wins were against known fighters.
His last fight win was a one-minute win against Richard White on March 9 at Bellator 60.
If he continues to win, the question will begin to arise about coming back to the sport’s top promotion.
“I don’t know if I want to make a push to get back into the UFC,” McCorkle said, “or see what Bellator says.”
Should he come back to the UFC, McCorkle already knows who he wants to fight.
“I’d like to fight Nogueira or Cro Cop,” he said, before adding his own spin. “I want one of the big names on the downside of their career.”
McCorkle expanded on why he’d be successful against one of the older legends.
“I’d beat Cro Cop. Mark Hunt beat Cro Cop, and I beat Mark Hunt.”
Now, McCorkle prepares for his next fight on the local circuit. He’s taking on Brian Heden in the main event of the upstart WMMA promotion out of Texas (not be confused with WAMMA).
McCorkle believes that WMMA has a chance to be successful.
“WMMA is talking about putting on a lot of shows,” he said. “They’re having the event at a place that holds 12,000 people, and they’re pricing tickets at $4 each. They’re trying to fill the building. They seem like they really get it.”
The promotion’s debut will be available on pay-per-view March 31. Unfortunately, not many companies have been successful going the PPV-only route.
“Eventually, they’ll have to be on TV,” McCorkle said of WMMA. “This fight is on pay-per-view, but I’m not sure how many pay-per-views anyone can sell.”
McCorkle sees UFC’s recent deal with the Fox networks as a potential springboard for other promotions.
“With the UFC becoming more mainstream on television, there are going to be other networks that want that programming,” he said. “WMMA could fill the void.”
As for the fight with Heden, McCorkle is confident about the result.
“I’m going to stop him in the first round by submission.”
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