After days of rallying, it looks like Mark Hunt will finally get his wish at UFC 160 when he meets former heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos.
UFC President Dana White confirmed the news to MMAFighting.com on Saturday morning.
Dos Santos, who was set to fight Alistair Overeem in the co-main event for UFC 160, was left without an opponent after Overeem pulled out of the fight due to a quadriceps injury.
Known for his incredible knockout power and brutish striking style, Hunt’s name was immediately thrown into the mix as a possible replacement. Hunt, a former Pride legend, has generated a massive following as of late.
His journey back to the top of the heavyweight ranks has been remarkable. He was on a six-fight losing streak a little over two years ago. Now, he has four straight UFC wins to his name, including a knockout victory over top 10 heavyweight contender Stefan Struve.
There was apparently some miscommunication between White and Hunt’s team earlier in the week.
In a Twitter post on Thursday, White stated that Hunt turned down the opportunity to step up and fight Dos Santos. On Friday, Hunt negated the allegations on Twitter and stated he had “never turned down a fight.”
Later in the day, White appeared more optimistic in his next post relating to Hunt on the social networking site.
UFC 160 will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25. After losing the heavyweight title to Cain Velasquez, Dos Santos will be looking to rebound and climb back into the title picture.
MMAFighting was able to contact Hunt, who is reportedly “ecstatic” about the chance to fight Dos Santos. He called the opportunity “my title shot.”
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