Those rallying for Mark Hunt to take on UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 can stop, as UFC president Dana White announced Hunt will not get the title shot during the UFC on Fuel TV post-fight press conference.
“Mark Hunt will not get title shot, will have to fight a contender,” White said. “They can keep rallying. It ain’t going to happen.”
When Dos Santos’ opponent Alistair Overeem failed a random drug test earlier this month, fans immediately looked to possible replacement opponents if the former Strikeforce champ was unable to get licensed to fight. A NSAC hearing has been set for April 24, where Overeem will go ahead and try to get a license.
If unsuccessful, changes will have to be made quickly to get a May 26 opponent for dos Santos.
Everyone from Dan Henderson to Jon Jones and Frank Mir were mentioned as possible replacements, but a lot of fans were behind the former kickboxer Hunt, who is currently riding a three-fight win-streak.
Hunt is currently scheduled to face Stefan Struve on the same card, which features five main card bouts, all between heavyweights. When the rally started following the Overeem news, many were against Hunt getting the shot, saying he didn’t deserve it just yet.
After a five-fight losing streak in Pride and Dream, the UFC offered to fulfill Hunt’s Pride contract not with a fight but with cash. Instead of taking it, he decided to fight and lost to Sean McCorkle in the first round at UFC 119.
Surprisingly, the UFC gave Hunt another fight against Chris Tuchscherer, who he knocked out in February 2011. That would be the first of three consecutive wins, including victories over Ben Rothwell and Cheick Kongo.
With those wins under his belt, he may not be in title contention just yet but still makes a case for being an emerging contender.
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