Mark Hunt says he’s ‘down to party’ with Fedor Emelianenko if rematch opportunity arises at UFC 193

Whoever says old dogs can’t learn new tricks apparently hasn’t met the “Super Samoan,” because at 41 years young, UFC fan-favorite Mark Hunt will soon add ‘published author’ to his career credentials.

Hunt’s upcoming autobiography, entitled Born to Fight, hits bookstores on Sept. 25. And though he was at first reluctant to spill his story, Hunt eventually came to enjoy the process with ghostwriter Ben Mckelvey, realizing that his incredible journey from rock bottom to UFC title contender could serve a greater purpose than his own.

“When they called me about doing it, I said no about three or four times,” Hunt admitted Tuesday on The MMA Hour. “The only reason why I did the book is because they said ‘you could help others with your story,’ and I said, ‘okay great, I’ll do it.'”

Hunt met with Mckelvey a myriad of times over the course of a few months this spring, recounting old stories about his days in Pride and K-1 and dredging up countless memories that had long been forgotten. In the end, he found the process to therapeutic in a way that surpassed any of his previous expectations.

“It was pretty much like talking to a psych guy,” Hunt joked. “Going to a psych guy and just saying, ‘well, I’m getting feelings of trying to kill people’ and all that sort of jazz. But yeah, it was just like doing that. It was quite cool, actually. It was relieving. I felt really good. They wrote it all in four months, five months while I was in training camp for the Stipe (Miocic) fight.

“So when I go to the airport, instead of saying I’m a punching bag, I’m an author as well now.”

The book tells Hunt’s story up to the present, including his most recent outing against Miocic, which may very well be the most painful fight of Hunt’s entire career, both literally and metaphorically.

The veteran heavyweight met Miocic in his own adopted home of Australia in May and promptly lost one a heart-wrenching bout that saw Hunt not only endure a difficult weight cut, but also suffer a worrying amount of damage.

Miocic ultimately set a UFC record with his monstrous 361-48 strike differential, finishing the fight via fifth-round TKO.

“It was really one-sided. It was all one-sided, actually,” Hunt admitted. “I just got totally hammered and it was hard to swallow because I thought, and I always think, that I’m better. I’m better than the fighter I’m fighting against. But not on that night. But you know, I’ve swallowed the pill and moved on.

“It made me never want to cut (weight) ever again in a fight, so that’s what I’m going to be doing,” Hunt added. “I’m never going to have to cut weight for any fight. It made me a lot more determined about my goals and coming back to the next person. It just made me a better [version of] myself. I’m just angry with myself for how I let that happen.”

If Hunt was hurting afterward, he didn’t let it show. Instead the “Super Samoan” jumped right back into the fray, landing a match-up against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in a rematch of what may perhaps be the greatest heavyweight fight of all-time.

To make things even better, the bout sits on the main card of what is expected to be the biggest show in UFC history, a stadium show at UFC 193 which could seat up to 70,000 Australian fight fans. And though Silva is still Hunt’s official marching order, recent reports have linked Hunt to a potential fight against MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko as well — a rematch which Hunt would be ecstatic to accept.

“You know me, I’m down to party anywhere,” Hunt said. “We can party anywhere, in your house, in Australia, anywhere.

“I never lose a rematch. I’ve never lost a rematch in my whole career. I want to party with all those guys again, so it’ll be good.”

UFC President Dana White shrugged off the Emelianenko reports last week at the UFC’s “Go Big” press event, though Zuffa remains incredibly invested in ensuring the Russian legend’s return happens inside the Octagon and not elsewhere.

As for Silva, he, like Hunt, has fallen on hard times since the pair’s first meeting in Dec. 2013. Of all the fighters to be affected by the Nevada Athletic Commission’s ban on testosterone replacement therapy, Silva’s case is perhaps the worst as the Brazilian suffers from acromegaly, a disease which affects the pituitary gland and rendered his TRT use necessary.

Silva lost his first two fights after the ban went into effect, getting knocked out twice in a combined time of just 4:39. Even Hunt admits that Silva “went down pretty easily.”

However Silva was able to right his ship in August with a TKO win over Hunt’s training partner, Soa Palelei, and now “Bigfoot” sits in the same conversation as the “Super Samoan,” fighting to prove he’s still a contender in the UFC heavyweight division.

“I need to win this fight,” Hunt said. “I need to win just to let people know that I’m still in contention here and not on my way out. I just don’t feel it was a good way to fight, the last one, so you know, I’m looking forward to getting the win, whether it be ‘Bigfoot’ or Fedor. Each one, I could party with.”