Tag: Mark Hunt

CagePotato Roundtable #21: Which Fighter Had the Most Unexpected Career Comeback of Them All?


(They say a picture is worth a thousand words, yet the only one that comes to mind when looking at this one is ZOMGBARFLOLLERCOPTER. Via Getty Images.) 

Mixed martial arts is a cruel mistress, Potato Nation, and we’re not just talking about Fallon Fox. As the sport’s popularity has increased over the past decade, its participants have been forced to take on the added pressure of not only supporting their families with the oft paltry salaries they take home every few months (if they’re lucky), but winning fights and winning them impressively for the sake of their ever-increasing fanbases, who will turn on them at the drop of the hat should they fail to meet expectations. At the risk of sounding too cliche, MMA is a game that truly offers the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It’s also a sport that Tim Sylvia once declared 90% half mental.

And to some degree, that semi-retarded Ogre was right; MMA is a sport that, aside from pushing one to their limit and often past it physically, can do ten times as much damage to a person mentally. A string of losses — a single, particularly devastating loss even — can leave a fighter questioning whether they ever truly belonged in the first place, or whether their prime has simply passed them by. And it just happens so damn fast; in the span of roughly a year, Chuck Liddell went from the unstoppable light heavyweight kingpin to a washed up brawler who was getting punch-drunk into an early grave. At least according to the “experts” who regularly peruse the UG and Sherdog forums, CagePotato comments sections, and Wikipedia.

No, it’s not every day that we see a Randy Couture or a Georges St. Pierre who can recover from a brutal loss or string of losses and use them as motivation to refocus or completely resurrect their career. And in light of Wanderlei Silva and Mark Hunt’s recent triumphs, we go to thinking: Who Had the Most Unexpected Career Turnaround of Them All? 

That’s right, Taters. The Roundtable is back.


(They say a picture is worth a thousand words, yet the only one that comes to mind when looking at this one is ZOMGBARFLOLLERCOPTER. Via Getty Images.) 

Mixed martial arts is a cruel mistress, Potato Nation, and we’re not just talking about Fallon Fox. As the sport’s popularity has increased over the past decade, its participants have been forced to take on the added pressure of not only supporting their families with the oft paltry salaries they take home every few months (if they’re lucky), but winning fights and winning them impressively for the sake of their ever-increasing fanbases, who will turn on them at the drop of the hat should they fail to meet expectations. At the risk of sounding too cliche, MMA is a game that truly offers the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It’s also a sport that Tim Sylvia once declared 90% half mental.

And to some degree, that semi-retarded Ogre was right; MMA is a sport that, aside from pushing one to their limit and often past it physically, can do ten times as much damage to a person mentally. A string of losses — a single, particularly devastating loss even — can leave a fighter questioning whether they ever truly belonged in the first place, or whether their prime has simply passed them by. And it just happens so damn fast; in the span of roughly a year, Chuck Liddell went from the unstoppable light heavyweight kingpin to a washed up brawler who was getting punch-drunk into an early grave. At least according to the “experts” who regularly peruse the UG and Sherdog forums, CagePotato comments sections, and Wikipedia.

No, it’s not every day that we see a Randy Couture or a Georges St. Pierre who can recover from a brutal loss or string of losses and use them as motivation to refocus or completely resurrect their career. And in light of Wanderlei Silva and Mark Hunt’s recent triumphs, we go to thinking: Who Had the Most Unexpected Career Turnaround of Them All? 

That’s right, Taters. The Roundtable is back.

Josh Hutchinson

For a “great and unexpected comeback,” I personally have to go with Matt Brown. Starting his UFC career in season 7 of The Ultimate Fighter, Brown entered the house with a first round TKO victory over Josh Hall. That really wasn’t anything special, but what followed certainly was. As you recall, Jeremy May established himself early as the season’s token douche bag –which is impressive considering guys like Jesse Taylor and CB Dollaway were also on that season — and proceeded to endlessly fuck with Brown. Coach Forrest Griffin was cool enough to let Brown fight Jeremy when he asked, and then we got the TUF buildup for the fight. Jeremy May used his camera time to further show the world how much of an unnecessary waste of oxygen he was, whereas Brown came off as a determined, likeable guy. I also remember his team talking about how great he was, and that one day they would all be able to tell their children that they knew “The Immortal” Matt Brown. Also, Amir Sodallah predicted Brown would win “…by murder.”

Come fight time, this happened, and it came pretty damn close to Amir’s prediction. The good guy beat the bad guy, the loud mouth got silenced, and I officially drank the Matt Brown Kool Aid. Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed when he lost to Sodallah in his next outing, but still optimistic that this guy could one day become a title contender. Over the next two years, Brown went 4-1, losing the only fight that went to the judges, and I was never more sure of it. Then in 2010, his opponents noticed just how horrible his submission defense was, and Brown proceeded to lose 4 of his next 5 fights. For me, this was like finding out that the Easter bunny wasn’t real, or that the 50 dollar hooker from last week didn’t really love me (SHE DID!!!).

With a 1-4 record in his last 5 fights and a 12-11 overall record, I was sure that Zuffa keeping “The Immortal” around was the result of some Pepe Silvia level conspiracy shit and honestly wrote the guy off completely. Inexplicably, Brown rebounded in a big way. Fighting 4 times in 2012, he managed to hand Stephen Thompson his first loss and KO/TKO everyone else they put in front of him. Do I still think he can be a title contender? Shit no. The welterweight division is far too deep for a knockout artist with almost as many losses as wins to even be mentioned in a conversation about title shots (no offense, Mark). Then again, if he manages to beat Dan Hardy on April 20th, you never know. WAR Brown.

Doug “ReX13″ Richardson 

(Photo via Getty Images.) 

There was a guy, his name escapes me at the moment for some reason. Anyway, this kid was a real prodigy, pro debut at 20, UFC debut at 22, and he’s just making guys look bad on his run up to challenging for the UFC title. But, get this: when he gets his title shot, he loses. He puts on a good performance but the champion catches him with a last-second armbar for the finish.

So this kid is devastated, goes back to the gym, hits slabs of meat at his day job, drinks questionable protein shakes before his morning run, pretty much all the Rocky tropes. Except he’s Canadian. Did I mention he was Canadian? Well, he is. This turns out to be important for the UFC marketing department, and Canadians. So this Canadian guy goes on a five-fight tear, finally gets a second shot at the belt, and this time he wins! Wins the fight by TKO stoppage, so all hail the new king of the division, right? WRONG: New Canadian Handsome Champion (did I mention he was a good-looking guy with a French-Canadian accent? Well, he is. This turns out to be important for UFC marketing department, and women. And gay men.) LOSES HIS FIRST TITLE DEFENSE.

If you get a chance, ask an old-timer about the chaos after Matt Serra won a UFC title. Food and commodities prices skyrocketed. Pigs were seen to slip loose the bonds of Earth. Rivers flowed backward, and the skies were darkened. But Canadian Handsome Guy went to a whole ‘notha level in fighting: Winning Is Everything, and this time he goes on a ten-fight tear, during which he soundly defeats Old Champion, avenges his loss (and regains the title) from The Interloper Matt Serra, and lays the smackdown on perhaps the most impressive collection of talent in any weight class, putting his current successful title defenses at eight.

I don’t remember what the original question was, but if Georges St. Pierre loses this weekend, he’s either going to become The Batman or go Super Saiyan.

George Shunick

It might seem unfathomable right now, but only four years ago, no one knew who Chael Sonnen was. And if they did know who he was, it was only as “that guy who happened to be in the same cage with Paulo Filho when the latter lost his mind in the middle of a fight.” Prior to the Filho rematch, Sonnen’s career was thoroughly mediocre. Realistically competing since 2002 – he had a fight in 1997, then didn’t fight again until he defeated Jason “Mayhem” Miller five years later – the only notable names he had wins over were “Mayhem” and Tim Credeur. During that same time span, he lost to a pre-TUF Forrest Griffin, Renato “Babalu” Sobral and three times to Jeremy Horn. Sonnen’s final loss to Horn got him cut from the UFC for the first time, after which he rattled off five straight victories before facing Filho.

Their first meeting ended in controversy after Sonnen screamed in pain while locked in an armbar – but did not tap – and the referee stopped the fight. The second ended with less controversy, but more confusion, as Filho came in overweight and was more focused on an imaginary dialogue (does that make it a monologue?) than actually engaging in a fight. After the Filho debacle, Sonnen re-entered the UFC and was quickly submitted by Demian Maia in his first fight. Seven years into his career, and nothing appeared any different for Chael Sonnen.

In his next fight, Sonnen scored a decision victory over Dan Miller. No surprise there. But then, he dominated Yushin Okami, a man considered by many to be the number two middleweight in the world at the time. Still, Okami was a wrestler like Sonnen. It was unexpected, but still within the realm of plausibility. But most people favored Nate Marquardt when the two met for a title-shot at UFC 109; Marquardt was well-rounded, for starters, while Sonnen was entirely one-dimensional. Yet Sonnen’s one dimension proved more than enough to stymie Marquardt’s multi-dimensional approach, which unfortunately did not happen to contain an offensive jiu-jitsu game.

His victory led him to his UFC 117 title shot against Anderson Silva, and changed his entire career. Sonnen adopted a pro-wrestling persona, insulted Anderson Silva every opportunity he was afforded and then – to the amazement of everyone – came this close to defeating Silva. He lost, of course, and tested positive for extraordinarily high levels of testosterone afterwards, but Sonnen would never be the same. (This is true from a physiological standpoint as well as a narrative one, thanks to a TRT prescription.) He became – in no particular order – a television personality, a perennial contender, a TUF coach, a pizza parlor owner, a white collar criminal, a cheat, and a best-selling author.

Chael Sonnen was a nobody four years ago, seven years into a career. Now? He’s a brand unto himself and one of the biggest draws in the entire sport. He’s also probably a dead man coming into his fight with Jon Jones, but at this point, wins and losses are almost irrelevant when it comes to Sonnen. He’s established in the last few years of his career what all but a small percentage of fighters fail to achieve, without winning a title. No one could have expected that.

Anthony Gannon

Nothing like a good fallacy to maintain the natural order. It’s just one of those astonishing things that define us as a subservient people. It allows us to accept a widespread belief without any cumbersome thinking, all because it sounds good and true and just. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I mean, where would the world be right now if everyone constantly questioned shit?

Stirling, that’s where. If those troublesome Scots had just accepted their rightful plebeian roles and allowed Longskanks to institute primae noctis on their women, then all those poor farmers wouldn’t have been butchered to death, and excruciatingly annoying people who claim Scottish and/or Irish descent wouldn’t use the term “aye.” Basically, the world would be a prettier place.

One of the best ones, right up there with Jesus being born of Immaculate Conception, is the Little Nog jiu-jitsu fallacy – debunked circa 2010. It held that Nog’s substandard wrestling ability wouldn’t have an adverse effect on his UFC career, that he would simply use his superhuman BJJ powers to submit any wrestler foolish enough to plant him on his ass.

This was largely perpetuated by Pride fanboys (Ed note: You got somethin’ to say, Gannon?), where Little Nog had attained deity status by not only going 8-2 during his renowned tenure, but by being the other half of the Nog zygote his larger sibling made famous by enduring vicious beatings before pulling off spectacular Hail Mary submissions. Never mind that Little Nog hadn’t pulled off a submission against a top opponent since 2005. He was a Nog God dammit, and he’d submit a bitch cause that’s just the way it was.

After Pride was acquired by the UFC in 2007, we all anticipated the arrival of Little Nog. However, it wasn’t until 2009 that he arrived. He commenced to destroy the supremely overrated Luiz Cane, then fought to a surprising split decision victory against Jason Brilz in a fight many thought he should have lost due to Brilz’s wrestling control. Two straight losses to wrestlers Ryan Bader and Phil Davis followed, and it seemed Little Nog’s jiu jitsu was ill-prepared for the wrestle-hump world of the UFC.

Then a funny thing happened: Nog learned how to stuff him some takedowns. Sure, he showed flashes of great takedown defense in his losses, but he would eventually succumb. His comical destruction of the dry-aged Tito was a useless barometer, but his recent win over Rashad Evans at UFC 156 was very telling. Aesthetically, the fight was a torturous affair, but Nog showed that, to go along with his formidable stand-up and excellent/yet totally mortal BJJ, he finally learned the skill that could fill in the blanks.

Next up is Shogun at UFC 161. And even though Shogun’s performances are starting to look as sloppy as his love handles hanging over those tight-ass Praetorian shorts, he’s still a tough opponent with big name value. A win here puts Little Nog into a very good position for a title shot. Hendo is out of the mix. After Jon Jones makes Chael Sonnen bust out the jelly, the only top 205ers left that Jones hasn’t already destroyed are Nog and Gustafsson. Yes, Dana White said Machida was next in line, but it’s not like Daddy Dana hasn’t been known to Indian give this sort of shit.

Nog’s right there, son. All he has to do is beat Shogun – something he couldn’t do back in 2005 — and with Shogun fighting like a guy who looks like he smokes three packs of Camel No-Filters a day after two rounds, Nog has a great shot at the W here. With it, he’ll be a pubic hair away. If none of that works out, museums are always looking for real life actors for their Neanderthal exhibits.

Nathan “The12ozCurls” Smith

(Via Getty Images.) 

Cub Swanson was a pedestrian 4-3 during his last seven bouts in the WEC before the organization merged with the UFC, and in his debut under the bright lights of the “big leagues” he tapped out when Ricardo “Don’t Call Me Lorenzo” Lamas slapped on a tight arm-triangle choke. Going .500 in your last eight fights and getting submitted in your first appearance in the Octagon is not exactly the model on how to impress the new bosses, especially when you already have an 8 second brutal KO loss to the champion (Aldo) as well as a UD loss to a perennial top contender/alleged bar brawler (Mendes) at the weight class in which you compete. The win/loss record along with the other variables is the exact reason the “Flow Chart of Doom” was invented by our fearless leader, but the UFC was not overstaffed back in late 2011 and thankfully Swanson was given another chance.

To say that Cub took the proverbial ball and ran with it would be an understatement. Swanson faced off against durable George Roop at the UFC ON FOX 2 undercard in what was a perceived as a must-win for him, and judging by the beating he put on Roop en route to a KO victory, Cub understood the severity of the situation. Swanson then won Knockout of the Night honors when he dropped Ross Pearson like a good wingman does to the fat chick “friend.” Next in line was dangerous submission specialist Charles Oliveira and Swanson took less than three minutes to go “Right Turn Clyde” with a left hook to the bread basket followed up with a one punch KO. Three fights, three wins and three knockouts. That is how you get some fans (according to Cub’s new head trainer) and the favor of the UFC brass.

A huge step-up in competition was in store for Swanson when he was pitted against the well-rounded Louisiana stud Dustin Poirier last month. The late/great Gorilla Monsoon would have said it was the “irresistible force meeting the immovable object” and both men put on a show for 15 minutes during their co-main event bout. Take downs and stand-up exchanges ensued. It was an awesome fight worthy of UFC ON FOX viewers. It was a fight that would have turned the casual viewer into a die hard and once the dust had settled, Cub came out with a unanimous decision victory.

Cub Swanson: his name may sound like a revoked TV dinner flavor but he has resurrected his career in unbelievable fashion. For Pete’s sake, he got guillotined by Jens Pulver five years ago and now he is sitting at the precipice of a number one contender’s bout. Kevin Luke “Cub” Swanson is a perpetual underdog and we all love the underdog especially when that mutt comes into the octagon swinging for – not only the fences – but for his career.

Seth Falvo

(Photo via Getty Images.) 

Before we go any further, it’s imperative that we give a much deserved shout-out to Bernard Hopkins, who once again became the oldest major champion in the history of boxing six days ago with a victory over undefeated IBF champion Tavoris Cloud. Is part of his longevity due to a weak talent pool in boxing? Of course. Does this take anything away from the absolutely legendary career that Bernard Hopkins has put together? Don’t be a fool, you idiot.

Now then, even if I could pick Hopkins for this roundtable discussion, I wouldn’t, because he never fell nearly as far out of relevance as my choice, Demian Maia.

As a middleweight, Maia followed the “Grappling Ace Anderson Silva Challenger” mold to the letter. He started off his UFC career with a string of submission victories. He eventually managed to convince the UFC brass that he could possibly submit the untouchable Brazilian, and while we more-than-willingly hyped him as a challenger, deep down we all knew that we were simply playing carnival barker while doing so. Much like how “The Incredible Bearded Lady” is less impressive when you call her “Your friend’s Italian Grandmother,” we focused on Maia’s submission prowess because of how little standup he had (the Marquardt fight, anyone?). An embarrassingly lopsided, yet also completely unwatchable fight against Anderson Silva ensued, and our fearless challenger would slowly begin to fade out of relevance (See Also: Leites, T.).

And then a strange thing happened (Ed note: You mean like with Lil’ Nog?): Maia dropped to welterweight, and he was unbeatable again. His welterweight debut saw him crush Dong Hyun Kim in just forty-seven seconds. While skeptics (ie. me) wanted to see more before declaring him “back,” Maia’s next outing saw him neck crank Rick Story so hard that the end result was like watching a Mortal Kombat fatality. You could spend hours watching grappling tournaments and not see such a gruesome, yet completely awesome finish. And then the icing on the cake came at UFC 156, where Demian Maia managed to out-Fitch Jon Fitch while actually being entertaining. Say what you want about Jon Fitch being boring, just don’t act like a victory over him has ever been meaningless.

Perhaps the most impressive part about Maia’s comeback is the fact that he is now a more legitimate contender than he was when he was actually challenging for the title. When he fought Anderson Silva, he was part of a trio of fighters (along with Sonnen and Marquardt) who could have all challenged for the belt, even though none of them really deserved to. Now, Maia just needs a victory over one more top welterweight to gain a shot at the champion. And this time around, I actually believe what I’m typing when I write that Maia has a good chance at submitting whoever that guy may be.

Jared Jones

It’s funny; I came up with this Roundtable topic specifically with Mark Hunt in mind, yet now that the time has come to sing his praises, I find myself surprisingly void of the right words to say. Maybe it’s because — like the family of Zhou Chengliang – I had long since given up the hope that I would ever see “The Super Samoan” fighting in the UFC, let alone knocking on the door of a title shot. Following a six-fight skid that included a handful of amateurish submission losses and a world-shattering KO loss to Melvin Manhoef, it was generally understood by fans and pundits alike that Hunt was on his way out. Personally, I welcomed the thought. In some strange way, I was almost more comfortable believing that when PRIDE faded away in 2007, the Mark Hunt I knew — the iron-jawed, heavy-handed, flabby-around-the-waist, butt-dropping introvert — faded away with it. It was the sole bit of solace I was able to scrape away from the collapse of my beloved PRIDE.

And when it was announced that Hunt would in fact be headed to the UFC, some five years after he had stopped being relevant, for the sole purpose of fulfilling leftover contractual obligations he had with PRIDE, I was heartbroken. Honest-to-God heartbroken. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I had already counted Hunt out. I believed that Hunt’s run in the UFC would accomplish little more than tarnishing his legendary status amongst the sport’s hardcore fans while spoiling his name amongst those new to MMA. Sure, he appeared to be in the best shape of his life heading into the fight, but in the back of my mind I couldn’t shake the feeling that we (“we” being Hunt fans worldwide) were setting ourselves up for disappointment. One minute and an arm-breaking loss to a super-heavyweight future UFC washout later, I had all I could do to hold back tears.

It is at this point in my little story that you’re probably expecting the phrase “but then, a funny thing happened” to appear, followed by a fight-by-fight retelling of Hunt’s completely unexpected four fight win streak that culminated in a stellar knockout of Stefan Struve at UFC in FUEL 8 and a late replacement, number one contender fight with former champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 160. But I’m not going to do that, because if you are not familiar with Hunt’s inspirational turnaround, the #RallyforMarkHunt campaigns, or his beatdown of one of the sport’s dirtiest fighters, then there is nothing I can write to convince you to get on board this warwagon.

Because to me, Hunt’s simultaneously depressing and inspiring story of perseverance is almost transcendent of the material itself. It represents more than just Mark Hunt the person; it represents more than just MMA. It makes the case that dozens of hackneyed, underdog sports films attempt to make each year with varying degrees of success: NEVER COUNT ANYONE OUT. Because if a one-dimensional, long since forgotten slugger like Hunt can mount as historic a comeback as he has, who’s to say that any other athlete, politician, or civilian can’t? Because Mark Hunt, you guys. Because PRIDE. 

Mark Hunt to Fight Junior dos Santos at UFC 160

Better late than never. Props: @ZeusJupiterMMAO

It may have taken a year to come about, but a fight between Mark Hunt and Junior dos Santos has been booked for UFC 160.

When a quadriceps injury to Alistair Overeem left Junior dos Santos without an opponent for UFC 160, Hunt immediately organized a Twitter assault in an effort to get the fight. Despite White’s initial insistence on postponing Overeem vs. dos Santos, a phone call from “The Super Samoan” last night was enough to change his mind. See, sometimes persistence doesn’t result in a restraining order.

Mark Hunt is currently riding a four fight win streak, coming off of a brutal, jaw-breaking knockout over Stefan Struve at last Saturday’s UFC on FUEL 8. Meanwhile, dos Santos is coming off of a gutsy, yet lopsided loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 155.

Better late than never. Props: @ZeusJupiterMMAO

It may have taken a year to come about, but a fight between Mark Hunt and Junior dos Santos has been booked for UFC 160.

When a quadriceps injury to Alistair Overeem left Junior dos Santos without an opponent for UFC 160, Hunt immediately organized a Twitter assault in an effort to get the fight. Despite White’s initial insistence on postponing Overeem vs. dos Santos, a phone call from “The Super Samoan” last night was enough to change his mind. See, sometimes persistence doesn’t result in a restraining order.

Mark Hunt is currently riding a four fight win streak, coming off of a brutal, jaw-breaking knockout over Stefan Struve at last Saturday’s UFC on FUEL 8. Meanwhile, dos Santos is coming off of a gutsy, yet lopsided loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 155.

Will Hunt continue his unlikely rise through the UFC heavyweight division, or will Junior dos Santos prove to be too much for him? Let us know your early predictions in the comments.

@SethFalvo

[Photo] Mark Hunt Broke Stefan Struve’s Jaw at UFC on Fuel 8


(Photo of Stefan Struve’s broken jaw courtesy of Stefan Struve’s Twitter account)

After Mark Hunt dropped Stefan Struve with a left hook last night in Japan during the featured heavyweight bout on the UFC on Fuel 8 card and just walked away with his hands raised, you may have thought that referee Herb Dean was premature in stepping in and stopping the bout. Well, you’d be wrong.

Turns out that while Struve was still conscious, Hunt had broken his jaw and was just bad-ass enough to know he had before anyone else did. Struve got on twitter last night and told followers, “Thanks for the support everybody, I wanted Herb to take the tooth out of my cheek and continue but then it turned out my jaw was broken..”

To make matters worse for the giant, the ambulance he took to the hospital from the arena did not have any pain killers. “45 minutes to the hospital without painkillers.. Man, please choke me out.. Jaw is hurting like crazy.. :(“ Struve tweeted.

Man, tweeting with a broken jaw and no pain killers – that guy is a straight soldier. Later in the night Struve tweeted the above X-Ray photo of his skull, featuring his cracked jaw.

Dana, get this man a twitter bonus!

Struve eventually got pain killers and was happily “tripping” when he let fans know that he’d be flying back to his home of Holland today and getting surgery to repair his jaw, asap. Another great job by Hunt, another demonstration of Herb Dean’s expert eyes in action and an amazing demonstration of communication skills and good humor in the face of adversity and pain displayed by the young Struve.

– Elias Cepeda


(Photo of Stefan Struve’s broken jaw courtesy of Stefan Struve’s Twitter account)

After Mark Hunt dropped Stefan Struve with a left hook last night in Japan during the featured heavyweight bout on the UFC on Fuel 8 card and just walked away with his hands raised, you may have thought that referee Herb Dean was premature in stepping in and stopping the bout. Well, you’d be wrong.

Turns out that while Struve was still conscious, Hunt had broken his jaw and was just bad-ass enough to know he had before anyone else did. Struve got on twitter last night and told followers, “Thanks for the support everybody, I wanted Herb to take the tooth out of my cheek and continue but then it turned out my jaw was broken..”

To make matters worse for the giant, the ambulance he took to the hospital from the arena did not have any pain killers. “45 minutes to the hospital without painkillers.. Man, please choke me out.. Jaw is hurting like crazy.. :( “ Struve tweeted.

Man, tweeting with a broken jaw and no pain killers – that guy is a straight soldier. Later in the night Struve tweeted the above X-Ray photo of his skull, featuring his cracked jaw.

Dana, get this man a twitter bonus!

Struve eventually got pain killers and was happily “tripping” when he let fans know that he’d be flying back to his home of Holland today and getting surgery to repair his jaw, asap. Another great job by Hunt, another demonstration of Herb Dean’s expert eyes in action and an amazing demonstration of communication skills and good humor in the face of adversity and pain displayed by the young Struve.

– Elias Cepeda

‘UFC on FUEL TV 8: Silva vs. Stann’ — Live Results and Commentary


(I don’t know, man. It’s just not the same without Joe Rogan creeping into your personal space. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

Wanderlei Silva, Mark Hunt, Takanori Gomi, the Saitama Super Arena — if you squint your eyes, maybe you can convince yourself that PRIDE, in fact, neva die. The UFC is back in Japan today with a crowd-pleasing lineup of battle-scarred legends, rising stars, and whatever you’d call Diego Sanchez and Brian Stann at this point. (“Reliable bangers”? Yeah, I guess that works.)

Taking us through the action is George Shunick, who will be stacking live results from the FUEL TV main card after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and share your own feelings in the comments section.


(I don’t know, man. It’s just not the same without Joe Rogan creeping into your personal space. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

Wanderlei Silva, Mark Hunt, Takanori Gomi, the Saitama Super Arena — if you squint your eyes, maybe you can convince yourself that PRIDE, in fact, neva die. The UFC is back in Japan today with a crowd-pleasing lineup of battle-scarred legends, rising stars, and whatever you’d call Diego Sanchez and Brian Stann at this point. (“Reliable bangers”? Yeah, I guess that works.)

Taking us through the action is George Shunick, who will be stacking live results from the FUEL TV main card after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and share your own feelings in the comments section.

Welcome, fightphiles. As the certainly competitive, generally entertaining, mildly controversial and split-decision ridden undercard comes to a close, I invite you to grab a nice cold beer excessively large bottle of freshly distilled moonshine, grab your remotes and put Fuel TV on before the main card starts. But, since no one actually has Fuel, you’ll have to make due with my verbose editorializing. See, this is why I told you to grab the moonshine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Potato Nation.

So, obviously we have Wanderlei Silva headlining tonight, and while PRIDE-era Wanderlei is the one we all remember, I can think of no more appropriate time to remind everyone of this video again. Why this is not a staple of Silva’s highlight reel is something I will never understand.

Some last minute predictions; Siyar by TKO/KO, Hirota by decision, Lombard by TKO/KO, Hunt by TKO/KO, and Stann by TKO/KO. Yeah, I’m predicting a violent night. I’ll probably be wrong, particularly about Hunt, but it’s cool because I can just go back and edit everything so it’ll look like I was right. Editing power corrupts even the most noble writers, after all. (Edit: Somehow, I missed Sanchez-Gomi as well. So, um, Sanchez by decision.)

Am I the only one who’s really enjoying that the UFC is using the Prometheus trailer music to promote GSP-Diaz? Because that trailer was awesome. (The movie… less so.)

Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Dong Hyun Kim

I’m not typing Bahadurzada over and over again. Deal.

Round 1

No touch of gloves. Kim’s high kick is blocked. Siyar looking for a counter hook. Feeling each other out, Kim trying to pressure Siyar into the fence. He succeeds, btu Siyar escapes. Back to the center. Siyar blocks a hard high kick. Head kick lands for Kim, but Siyar eats it. Big right hand from Siyar. Kim has a huge mouse over his right eye, no idea where it came from. Nice left hand from Kim, who takes Siyar down. Kim gets mount quickly. Working short ground and pound, as Siyar is not allowing him to posture up. Now working elbows. Herb Dean threatens a standup, which is unheard of from mount. BIG elbow from Kim. Siyar stands but Kim has his back. Siyar tries to escape, but Kim is on him. 10-9 Kim as the horn sounds.

Round 2

Siyar opening with some kicks now, then rushes in wildly but lands nothing. Kim throws a kick as Siyar punches. Neither lands clean. Siyar sprawls, but Kim is relentless. He takes Siyar down, and it doesn’t appear that Siyar has an answer off his back. Siyar is holding on, but Kim slowly breaks his grip and begins working short punches. The crowd boos at the relative lack of action, Siyar rolls, but ends up turtling. Kim gets mount, and resumes his short punches. Siyar tries and fails to bridge. Herb says keep working as Kim throws approximately 62 punches in succession. I don’t know what Herb Dean is expecting. Kim lets Siyar hit him after Siyar presumably complains about his predicament. Then Kim returns the favor with elbows. Siyar has presumably learned not to complain about being mounted. Another 10-9 for Kim.

Round 3

Big right hand from Siyar, but he’s swinging wildly. Kim with a fast double leg from rather far away, and despite Siyar’s sprawl, he lands it. Kim briefly achieves a crucifix before switching to mount. Kim working for an arm triangle from mount. Siyar  is defending, but Kim is slowly switching to side control. Now throwing knees. Kim has the choke, but Siyar is defending by “answering the phone”. Kim resumes the choke after a brief break. Now he mounts Siyar, while maintaining his grip. Now punching to Siyar’s body. The crrowd boos, because  complete dominance is apparently boring. Now Kim throws huge elbows, followed by heavy punches. Big hammerfists, but Siyar defends as best he can. Kim lets Siyar hit him again, before following with hammerfists which don’t actually land. Siyar tries to escape, but Kim ends up on top in north south position. 10-9, maybe even 10-8 Kim.

30-27 on all cards for Dong Hyun Kim. Duh.

Rani Yahya vs. Mizuto Hirota

Sweet, a fight! That means no commercials with Pitbull for a full five minutes!

Round 1

Big right from Yahya. Hirota stalking, but is taken down briefly by a Yahya single. Yahya almost takes his back, but slips. He grabs an arm, but Hirota escapes, and gets half guard. Now half butterfly. Hirota tries to escape, but Yahya holds on to his leg and sweeps him. Yahya trying to pass to half guard and he succeeds. Yahya now working short punches and elbows, though nothing of significance. Hirota escapes, but Yahya grabs a single and tosses Hirota to the mat. Yahya lands some short shots in Hirota’s guard, and passes to half guard again. Yahya now settling down and landing more short punches. Looking for a kimura now, Hirota is grbabing his own shorts. Yahya uses the kimura ot pass guard and takes Hirota’s back. Round over, 10-9 Yahya.

Round 2

Hirota pushes Yahya into the fence and gets double udnerhooks. Takes a big swing, then some more, but Yahya drops and grabs a single. He lands it and works for mount as Hirota tries to shoulder walk against the cage. Yahya gets mount. Yahya grabs an arm triangle from mount! It looks tight! Hirota is still conscious, but Yahya adjusts. Hirota escapes, though, and gains half butterfly guard. Now full guard, but he’s taking shots from Yahya. Yahya passes to half guard and lands more shots to Hirota’s dome. Hirota manages to regain guard, but he’s breathing heavy. He’s got to be worn down from surviving that choke. 10-9, maybe 10-8 from the submission attempt, for Yahya.

Round 3

Hirota moving forward, as Yahya dives for a single. Hirota sprawls and defends. Yahya lands a short right, then has another takedown stuffed. Hirota sprawls again. He seems fresher than Yahya. They stand and Hirota stuffs another takedown. But persistence pays off for Yahya, as he lands a single. But Hirota sweeps and gets an arm! Now going for a double armbar, but Yahya manages to survive. Yahya tries to take Hirota’s back, and slowly gets a hook in. They’re against the fence, so Yahya can’t complete the transition. Hirota escapes and lands a double leg. He passes to half guard. Now Yaya turtles and Hirota lands hammerfists. They stand, and Hirota comes forward with a flying knee! Yahya goes to the floor, possibly out of exhaustion, but he gets up. Hirota can’t catch him as he flurries at the end, and despite winning the third round 10-9, Yahya should take this.

29-28 across the board for Yahya. Fans boo. When did Japanese fans start booing? I’m fairly certain this is a new phenomenon. We need the world’s brightest scientists to get to the bottom of this.

Yushin Okami vs. Hector Lombard

Hector Lombard scares me. For that matter, most Olympic-level judo practitioners with knockout power and serious anger issues scare me. I feel like I’m not alone in this sentiment. Also, as our own Mr. Misanthropy pointed out, this is a fight between Yushin “Thunder” Okami and Hector “Lightning” Lombard, which makes this Joe Silva’s favorite matchup since he booked Dennis “Superman” Hallman against John “Doomsday” Howard. (If you don’t get that reference, you’ve failed in your responsibilities as a citizen of the world.)

Round 1

Lombard stalking Okami. They exchange, and Lombard is throwing heat. Nothing lands so far. Inside leg kick Okami. Big kick from Lombard, but Okami catches it and finishes the takedown. But Lombard grabs an underhook and stands. Both land. Yushin keeps circling away from Lombard left hand. Smart. Throws a body kick which lands. Nice counter jab from Okami. Knee lands from Okami. Lombard barely misses a big hook. Both land as Lombard comes in, but Lombard lands cleaner. He over-commits on a hook, though, and Okami ducks under and land a takedown.  Working inside Lombard’s half-butterfly guard,  Okami lands a few shots. Now in half guard. Okami landing shots to the side of Lombard’s head. Lombard gets underhooks, though. and stands. Okami pushes him into the fence where they exchange knees. Hector reverses position, but Okami is still landing knees. Round ends, 10-9 Okami.

Round 2

Lombard slowly stalking Okami again. Nice knee from Okami. Lombard is having trouble getting inside on the bigger fighter. Okami landing nice jabs and lands a hard punch. Lombard misses a hook and eats a jab. Nice inside leg kick from Lombard. Okami succesfully using footwork and his jab to fluster Lombard. Nice cross from Okami. He misses a high kick. Nice cross from Okami. Lombard hits a body shot. Okami shoots hard for a single, and after a scramble he lands it. He immediately passes to half guard. Lombard works Okami’s body from the bottom, but it’s for naught. Okami is smothering him, and lands shots to the side of his head. He’s flattened Lombard’s hips out, so Lombard is incapable of returning to his feet. Okami is trying to pass and moves to mount. He postures up and throws a big elbow that misses. Now working smaller shots to Lombard’s temple. 10-9 Okami.

Round 3

Lombard coming out strong. Lands a number of hard strikes. He’s hurt Okami!! Okami is on wobbly feet. Lombard swarming with jabs, uppercuts, hooks and crosses. Okami returns fire with a knee. Okami shoots, but Lombard sprawls and Okami’s on his back. Lombard is in half guard, but he’s not working. He misses an elbow, and Okami grabs an underhook. He uses it to grab a single leg, but Lombard sprawls. He lands with hammerfists, but he can’t create the separation he needs. Now he escapes, and enters Okami’s guard. Not sure why he didn’t stand and let Okami trade with him on the feet. Okami stands. Lombard works for a single, but it goes nowhere. Lombard sprawls on Yushin’s shot and… enters guard. Now he passes to half guard. Poor strategy by Lombard, who is doing nothing on the ground. Yushin uses underhooks to improve his posture and regain guard. Lombard tries to posture up, but is too tired. 10-9 Lombard, but terrible strategy at the end costs him the fight.

Somehow this was a split-decision. Unreal. Yushin Okami wins 29-28 on two cards, while Lombard takes a completely undeserved 29-28 on one. How you score either of the first two rounds for Lombard is so utterly beyond my comprehension, I’m incapable of describing the sheer incompetence involved within the limitations of the English language.

Takanori Gomi vs. Diego Sanchez

It’s always unfortunate when you don’t get to see Diego Sanchez’ latest entrance histrionics. Oh well, nothing topping the cross walkout anyway.

Round 1

Sanchez takes the center of the Octagon. Gomi moves forward and lands a right. Lands another to the body as Sanchez kicks to his body. Gomi flashing a jab, but it’s more of a distraction than anything. Lands another right hand as Sanchez fakes a kick. Sanchez lands a jab. Gomi lands another right. He lands another, but as he does Diego lands a low blow. The fight resumes, and Sanchez lands a right and gets a takedown. But Gomi immediately grabs underhooks and stands. Inside leg kick Sanchez as the crowd chants “Gomi!” Jab lands from Sanchez. Nice body shot from Sanchez, followed by a kick. Jab from Gomi. And another. Nice body kick from Sanchez. Gomi lands a knee, but Sanchez lands a takedown. He works for a kneebar, but Gomi escapes and stands. Jab from Gomi then a big shot to the body. Then a jab from Gomi. Big right from Gomi to the top of Diego’s skull. They exchange kicks. Big body kick from Gomi which Sanchez catches as the round ends. 10-9 Gomi.

Round 2

Jab lands for Gomi. Sanchez lands a combination, but Gomi retorts with a body shot. Big jab from Gomi. Sanchez lands another combo. Gomi stuffs Diego’s shot. Jab misses for Gomi. Another big shot to the body by Gomi. Diego’s headkick is blocked. Sanchez lands another low blow and is warned by Marc Goddard. Gomi pressuring Sanchez, and lands a big left hook. Sanchez lands a low kick. They exchange jabs. Gomi lands another. The body shots seem to have worn on Diego, who lands another low kick. Nice jab from Sanchez, though. Big body kick from Sanchez. Inside leg kick from Gomi. Sanchez lands another kick. Diego lands a right hook, and is using a lot of feints now. Gomi lands a right as Diego tries for a takedown but fails. Body kick from Gomi. Big body kick from Sanchez. Another, but it’s caught. Gomi rushes and flurries, but Sanchez throws a nice counter. They exchange as the bell ends. Very close round.

Round 3

The crowd is up for this last round. Diego literally runs out to the center of the Octagon. Digeo lands a low kick. Gomi swinging and missing. Low kick Gomi. The pace has slowed considerably. Jab from Sanchez. Nice kick as well. Then a counter hook. Diego is beginning to take control. Nice jab from Gomi. Switch front kick misses from Sanchez. Nice jab from Gomi. Jab from Gomi blocked. Another body kick from Sanchez. Jab from Gomi. Big body kick from Sanchez again. Diego shoots, but Gomi sprawls. Nice counter jab from Gomi. Gomi counters a Diego kick and almost takes him down. Body shot from Gomi. Inside leg kick from Sanchez, but a counter hook from Gomi. Sanchez tries a body lock, but Gomi escapes. Nice kick from Sanchez, but it’s caught. Gomi lands a solid kick. Sanchez landed towards the end. The bell sounds. Close round, again. Not sure who takes this.

Aaaaaand… it’s a split-decision for the winner, Diego Sanchez. 29-28 on two cards, and an understandable decision, even if the most dominant round of the fight was Gomi winning the first. Clarification: if the fight was scored in totality, Gomi clearly won. But on a round by round basis, with his kicks to the body and Gomi’s waning production, it’s understandable how Sanchez managed to get that decision.

Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve

If these next two fights don’t end in finishes, I won’t know what to believe in any more.

Round 1

Head kick misses from Struve. Hunt bullies him into the fence, then backs off. Struve eats a leg kick. Body shot from Hunt. Another leg kick from Hunt. Hunt misses a hook, but lands a body shot. They exchange jabs. Hunt lands a hook, but Struve clinches and pulls guard. Sturve has half butterfly guard. Struve sweeps Hunt to mount. Hunt gets half guard. (!?!?) Struve looking for an arm triangle, but Hunt defends. Struve passes to mount. Big shots from Hunt who turns over. Struve going for an armbar from the back. Hunt escapes and is in Struve’s butterfly guard. Big right from Hunt. Struve working for a triangle. Hunt escapes, but chooses to throw leather in Struve’s guard. Hunt almost passes Struve’s guard and then he does! (WTF AM I WATCHING!?!?!) Round ends, 10-9 Mark Hunt.

Round 2

Big left hook from Hunt! Hunt backs out, though. He lands another, but he’s wary of closing the distance. Nice jabs from Struve. Big body shot from Hunt. More shots from Hunt. Jab from Hunt. Followed by big shots. Left hook followed by a right cross. Body kick from Struve. Double jab and cross from Hunt. Hooks to the head and body from Hunt. Left hook from Hunt. Hunt lands a footsweep, but why? Struve working for a triangle. Hunt stands, but Struve grabs a leg lock. Struve almost takes his back, but Hunt ends up in Struve’s guard. Hunt landing punches from Struve’s guard and then gets side control. I don’t know what’s going on. Struve stands, and is taken down and is mounted. Struve’s ground and pound isn’t really landing, though. Now it is, but Struve is tired. He goes for an armbar, but Hunt escapes and gets in Struve’s guard. Another 10-9 for Hunt.

Round 3

They shake hands. Struve looking for uppercuts. Hunt goes body-head-body. Huge hook from Hunt! Inside leg kick from Struve. Nice jab from Hunt. Another hook from Mark Hunt. More punishment follows. Struve lands a head kick. Both men are tired. Big right and left from Hunt. Struve is hurt and Hunt is landing. He floors Struve with the left hook and it’s over!!! Hunt is officially the savior of UFC on Fuel 8.

Well, that was fun. Stefan Struve needs to learn that he isn’t wearing 8 ounce gloves and can’t just keep his head still and cover up. Also, that his guard isn’t as good as most people think it is. Mark Hunt is now officially a contender. Heavyweights, ladies and gentlemen. [UPDATE: for those questioning the stoppage, Herb Dean urged Struve to continue, but Struve’s jaw was broken. Hence the stoppage.]

Wanderlei Silva vs. Brian Stann

Among Wanderlei Silva’s keys to victory; “feints.” Wanderlei Silva does not know what this”feints” you speak of is, but if it means something other than “maul,” he will not suffer your cowardly suggestions. And now, the only time “Sandstorm” is tolerable to listen to, Wanderlei’s entrance.

Round 1

Intense staredown. They touch gloves. Stann rushes in, they exchange wildly, but Silva now has the Thai clinch. They exchange wild uppercuts and Silva goes down!, He recovers and they clinch. Silva lands a knee and they break. Big exchange there. Wanderlei waves him on and they exchange wildly again. Silva is dropped, but gets up. This is old school, wild MMA. They exchange on the edge of the Octagon. They do so again, but Silva takes a kick to the balls. Wanderlei gets a pause, and both men catch their breath. Stann’s nose is probably broken. They resume. Jab from Silva. And another. Stann lands a low kick, but Silva lands a counter. Stann pressing forward. The action has lulled as both men slowly get their wind back. Low kick Stann. HUGE EXCHANGE!! They both go down, and Stann ends up in Silva guard. Stann is gushing blood. This fight – this round – has compensated for the relative lack of violence on this entire card. 10-9 Stann.

Round 2

They exchange again, both men land. And again. There really isn’t a word to describe what happens when these two clash. It’s just loads of haymakers and blood. Silva’s hook is blocked. Jab to the body from Silva. Low kick from Stann. Another jab from Silva. Silva misses a wild right. He lands a jab, but Silva gets kicked in the balls again. Brian gets warned by Marc Goddard. The fight resumes. Low kick from Stann lands. Silva backs him up with a right. Big right from Stann. Head kick lands from Wanderlei. Hard low kick from Stann. Body kick from Silva. Right from Stann. HUGE RIGHT FROM SILVA, FOLLOWED BY A LEFT THAT DROPS STANN! Silva leaps on him and separates Stann from consciousness with ground and pound. Wanderlei Silva wins one of the most exciting fights in recent memory, and his homecoming to Japan, in emphatic fashion. Wow. What a fight.

Well, there went Mark Hunt’s KO of the Night bonus. Stann is still on his stool. Silva is jubilant. Unreal. The replay shows just how hard Silva’s punch was; he leaped into the right straight that started things. Stann is classy in defeat, even though he’s clearly heartbroken. Frankly, both men deserve thanks. Before the last two fights, the memory of this event would probably be some unruly amalgamation of astronauts, Pitbull, split-decisions and “WHERE YOU AT, GEORGES!?” Now? Violent, violent knockouts. These made the entire event worthwhile. Until next time, Potato Nation.

Obvious Statement of the Day: Stefan Struve is “A 265-Pound, Seven-Foot Monster”


(Demetrious Johnson had never seen a giraffe in person before this photo was taken. He still hasn’t, but don’t tell him that.) 

Despite being a relatively humble guy by fighter’s standards, Stefan Struve isn’t afraid to make a bold statement every now and again. Or in today’s case, a couple obvious ones. First, Struve spoke to UFC.com about his upcoming UFC on FUEL 8 tilt with PRIDE legend Mark Hunt (check out an awesome promo for the event here). After making such straightforward statements as “[Hunt] will not try and take me down” and “I’m fine when I keep my distance,” Struve ended the interview by declaring that “I’m not a boy among men anymore, you know? Now I’m a 265-pound, seven-foot monster.” Which is fine, until you see how he made that statement.

One thing’s for sure, it will be interesting to see how Struve is accepted by the people of Japan, who have a somewhat rocky history with creatures his size.

After the jump: Struve makes some more obvious statements about the implications of a win on Saturday. What do you mean it’s a slow news day?


(Demetrious Johnson had never seen a giraffe in person before this photo was taken. He still hasn’t, but don’t tell him that.) 

Despite being a relatively humble guy by fighter’s standards, Stefan Struve isn’t afraid to make a bold statement every now and again. Or in today’s case, a couple obvious ones. First, Struve spoke to UFC.com about his upcoming UFC on FUEL 8 tilt with PRIDE legend Mark Hunt (check out an awesome promo for the event here). After making such straightforward statements as “[Hunt] will not try and take me down” and “I’m fine when I keep my distance,” Struve ended the interview by declaring that “I’m not a boy among men anymore, you know? Now I’m a 265-pound, seven-foot monster.” Which is fine, until you see how he made that statement.

One thing’s for sure, it will be interesting to see how Struve is accepted by the people of Japan, who have a somewhat rocky history with creatures his size.

After the jump: Struve makes some more obvious statements about the implications of a win on Saturday. What do you mean it’s a slow news day?

Speaking of obvious revelations, Struve recently spoke to MMAFighting about where he believed a win this weekend would place him on the list of contenders in the heavyweight division. The Dutchman was both confident and competent in his analysis of his situation:

When I win this fight, and I finish this fight yet again, then I’m on a five-fight win streak with five finishes in the heavyweight division. Nobody else in the heavyweight division is on a five-fight win streak. I think I have a pretty strong bid to call myself No. 1 contender. 

While Struve has’t exactly been knocking off world-beaters in his current four fight win streak, his TKO victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC on FUEL 5 showcased a smarter, more disciplined version of Stefan Struve. Or at least one that wouldn’t leap face first into the fists of his opponents. And like Struve said, he’s riding a win streak that no other heavyweight in the division can claim at the moment.

In either case, when you combine Struve’s ever-improving striking with his already stellar ground game, it’s hard to deny that he could pose a legitimate threat to whomever emerges victorious from the Cain Velasquez/Bigfoot Silva rematch at UFC 160. We’re just kidding, Velasquez is going to treat Silva like a turtle in Cannibal Holocaust come May 25th. Again. Would anyone like to see Struve get a crack at him next?

–J. Jones 

[VIDEO] Mark Hunt Brings the Pain/Emotions in New ‘UFC on FUEL 8? Promo

We don’t know about you, but there are so many UFC events being strewn across so many different channels these days that we are starting to forget some of them even exist until about a week out. It’s not something we’re complaining about, but by a show of hands, how many of you realized that UFC on FUEL 8 is going down this weekend in Japan? Well, it is, and it features a headlining fight between Brian Stann and Wanderlei Silva that all of the world’s leading scientists have predicted will end inside of three rounds.

Scheduled just one fight before Stann vs. Silva, however, is a heavyweight contest that shines a spotlight on two of the division’s most unexpected rising stars: Mark Hunt and Stefan Struve. After suffering brutal knockout defeats at the hands of Junior Dos Santos, Roy Nelson, and Travis Browne, many MMA pundits were content to write off Struve as an upper-level gatekeeper who simply wasn’t title-contender material and probably never would be. However, following his most recent TKO victory over the then-undefeated prospect in Stipe Miocic at UFC on FUEL 5, Struve established himself as a legitimate threat in the heavyweight division, one who would make his case for a future title shot with a win this weekend.

But perhaps no fighter in the UFC possesses a greater comeback story than Hunt, who saw his career resurrected in the UFC following a six fight losing streak between 2006-2010. In the time since, Hunt has collected three straight wins in the octagon and even survived a fight with Cheick Kongo with both testicles intact. Despite his introverted nature, “The Super Samoan” has become an inspirational figure if there ever was one, and that inspiration takes center stage in the latest UFC on FUEL 8 promo.

We’ve placed the video above, so check it out and let us know if Hunt’s inspirational story will somehow help him overcome the 12.5 inch reach disadvantage he will be facing against the 6’11” Struve this weekend. My guess is it won’t, but where inspiration oft fails, an atomic butt drop usually succeeds.

–J. Jones

We don’t know about you, but there are so many UFC events being strewn across so many different channels these days that we are starting to forget some of them even exist until about a week out. It’s not something we’re complaining about, but by a show of hands, how many of you realized that UFC on FUEL 8 is going down this weekend in Japan? Well, it is, and it features a headlining fight between Brian Stann and Wanderlei Silva that all of the world’s leading scientists have predicted will end inside of three rounds.

Scheduled just one fight before Stann vs. Silva, however, is a heavyweight contest that shines a spotlight on two of the division’s most unexpected rising stars: Mark Hunt and Stefan Struve. After suffering brutal knockout defeats at the hands of Junior Dos Santos, Roy Nelson, and Travis Browne, many MMA pundits were content to write off Struve as an upper-level gatekeeper who simply wasn’t title-contender material and probably never would be. However, following his most recent TKO victory over the then-undefeated prospect in Stipe Miocic at UFC on FUEL 5, Struve established himself as a legitimate threat in the heavyweight division, one who would make his case for a future title shot with a win this weekend.

But perhaps no fighter in the UFC possesses a greater comeback story than Hunt, who saw his career resurrected in the UFC following a six fight losing streak between 2006-2010. In the time since, Hunt has collected three straight wins in the octagon and even survived a fight with Cheick Kongo with both testicles intact. Despite his introverted nature, “The Super Samoan” has become an inspirational figure if there ever was one, and that inspiration takes center stage in the latest UFC on FUEL 8 promo.

We’ve placed the video above, so check it out and let us know if Hunt’s inspirational story will somehow help him overcome the 12.5 inch reach disadvantage he will be facing against the 6’11″ Struve this weekend. My guess is it won’t, but where inspiration oft fails, an atomic butt drop usually succeeds.

–J. Jones