Heavy-handed fan favorite Mark Hunt was likely one in away from a title shot, but he hit a roadblock in the form of former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos at UFC 160.
While “The Super Samoan” was a game opponent for over 14 minutes of action Saturday, he had a problem dealing with JDS’s speed and power and eventually got dropped with a spinning heel kick.
One big punch on the ground was all it took to put Hunt’s lights out, and just like that, a title bid for the 39-year-old went up in smoke.
Early Sunday morning, Hunt revealed on Facebook that he broke his right big toe in the first round, hindering his movement for the rest of the fight.
Now, on Tuesday morning, the PRIDE and K-1 veteran revealed the injury required six stitches and isn’t looking too pretty. Those with a weak stomach probably want to avoid Hunt’s latest Facebook photo.
Heading into his bout with Dos Santos, Hunt was riding a four-fight win streak, including three knockouts—an incredible turnaround after losing six bouts in a row between July 2006 and September 2010.
Despite the disappointing loss, Hunt is ranked No. 10 in the UFC’s official heavyweight rankings, which update Monday night.
After losing the heavyweight strap to Cain Velasquez at UFC 155 in December, “Cigano” wanted to prove he was still one of the elite fighters in the world and certainly made a statement with his knockout over Hunt.
Since Velasquez successfully defended the belt against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the headlining bout Saturday, UFC President Dana White indicated that a rubber match between Velasquez and Dos Santos makes sense before the year is over, according to MMA Fighting.
After getting stopped by one of the division’s best, what matchup makes sense for Hunt to take next?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com