The venue was Saitama Super Arena. No, it wasn’t a Pride show, it was UFC Fight Night 52 and it took place in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The card was headlined by Pride throwback Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson. It was a heavyweight bout that featured two of the most durable, deadly one-punch knockout artists in the division.
When fight time came, fans eagerly sat at the edge of their seat, knowing the bout could end in the blink of an eye. That happened in the second round, as Hunt nailed Nelson with a one-hitter quitter and walked off into the sunset before the ref could stop him.
What did we learn from this Hunt win? Let’s take a look and peer into the future as well.
What We’ll Remember From This Fight
The finish is what we’ll remember. The uppercut Hunt hit Nelson with was equal parts beautiful as it was devastating.
The way in which Nelson went down was also an image to be remembered. After Hunt connected with the punch, Nelson went face down on the mat in a way we have never seen of “Big Country.”
Also, although this may be over-picky, we should remember that the announcers incorrectly said on multiple times this was the first time Nelson was ever knocked out. This was untrue, as Andrei Arlovski did it over five years ago.
That is something that should not happen. The announcers need to do their homework and be more precise with their stats and information.
What We Learned About Hunt
He is an entirely different man than he was a few years ago. In fact, Hunt is one of the best in the world, undoubtedly.
We all knew he can end a fight with one punch. But, now that he can defend takedowns and keep away from his suspect submission game, he is a guy that could be a threat to the UFC title.
What We Learned About Nelson
He is a gate keeper of the heavyweight division. He will be top 10 for a long time but he will fail to break through to bigger things.
That said, he’s good in that role. He is good at headlining smaller cards and creating memorable moments regardless. His one-punch KO ability is marketable, as is his personality.
That’s why he is still valuable.
What’s Next for Hunt?
To be honest, Hunt should be next up for the UFC title. He is the most marketable, dangerous finisher in line for the belt.
Figure that Junior dos Santos is way far off a title bout, Stipe Miocic is not as marketable and both men are tied up anyways. That means that when Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum meet in November, Hunt could be lurking in the shadows.
What’s Next for Nelson?
There are a lot of options going forward for Nelson, however none of them will get him in the title picture very soon.
A guy I’d like to see Nelson throw down with is Antonio Silva, who is coming off a loss last weekend to Arlovski. Otherwise, should Josh Barnett return anytime soon, that is another fight that would be interesting.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com