Like wine, Mark Hunt continues to get better with age.
The hard-hitting, No. 8-ranked UFC heavyweight contender recently ousted ex-champion Frank Mir in the first round of a UFC Fight Night 85 main event in Brisbane, Australia, last weekend (video) and now “Super Samoan” is itching to step back into the Octagon.
Against who, you ask? Only the best of the best.
“Any of them is fine. Any of the top-five guys would be fine. If someone pulls out, I’d rather fight sooner,” Hunt said on the MMA Hour earlier in the week. “So if someone pulls out, I’m your man. Give me a call.”
Hunt’s knockout of Mir makes it two straight for the 42-year-old kickboxing champ. He should have his pick of the litter coming up, seeing as how there are myriad of interesting collisions set to take place over the next two months in the 265-pound division.
First, intimidating bruiser Ben Rothwell meets devastating boxer Junior dos Santos on April 10, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 86.
Then, roughly one month later in May, renowned Dutch striker Alistair Overeem takes on his Jackson-Wink MMA teammate Andrei Arlovski at UFC Fight Night 87, while the 265-pound belt is up for grabs at UFC 198 when champion Fabricio Werdum defends his title against colossal Croatian Stipe Miocic.
Back to Hunt. A Top-5 win is something that has eluded the fearsome New Zealander for years and he wouldn’t mind a crack at “Cigano” or Miocic again.
Hunt was bloodied and beaten by both men on separate occasions in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
Considering his age, time is of the essence for the big man. Do you think winning a title is a realistic goal?