Tag: Mark Hunt

Exclusive Interview: Mark Hunt Talks His Fighting Past, Present and Future

By CagePotato Contributor Shawn Smith


(What has two thumbs and loves to bang? This guy)

For over a decade Mark Hunt has been a polarizing figure in the world of mixed martial arts. At 5 foot 10 and 260 lbs, he’s not your average heavyweight, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting on many exciting performances during his career. His hefty build and nonchalant demeanor are misleading. Rest assured though, Hunt is a dangerous fighter who wholeheartedly loves the fight game.

Exploding onto the K-1 scene in 2001 Hunt defeated Jerome Le Banner, Stefan Leko, and Francisco Filho en route to becoming the promotion’s World Grand Prix champion that year. A short time later, he decided to try his hand[s] at mixed martial arts. Following a submission loss to Hidehiko Yoshida in his MMA debut, Hunt rattled off five victories in a row against the likes of PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva, fearsome Croatian striker Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, and Japanese MMA pioneer Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.

These days “The Super Samoan” calls the UFC home. After falling on hard times in the last days of PRIDE and early days of DREAM, Hunt, who dropped his first UFC bout to Sean McCorkle, has turned things around by putting together two victories in a row inside the Octagon against a pair of formidable opponents in Chris Tuchscherer and “Big” Ben Rothwell.

The UFC recently announced that Hunt will be returning to Japan to take on French striker Cheick Kongo in what should be a stand-up war of attrition at UFC 144 in February.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with the seasoned veteran about his past present and future in the sport.

Check out what he had to say after the jump.

By CagePotato Contributor Shawn Smith


(What has two thumbs and loves to bang? This guy)

For over a decade Mark Hunt has been a polarizing figure in the world of mixed martial arts. At 5 foot 10 and 260 lbs, he’s not your average heavyweight, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting on many exciting performances during his career. His hefty build and nonchalant demeanor are misleading. Rest assured though, Hunt is a dangerous fighter who wholeheartedly loves the fight game.

Exploding onto the K-1 scene in 2001 Hunt defeated Jerome Le Banner, Stefan Leko, and Francisco Filho en route to becoming the promotion’s World Grand Prix champion that year. A short time later, he decided to try his hand[s] at mixed martial arts. Following a submission loss to Hidehiko Yoshida in his MMA debut, Hunt rattled off five victories in a row against the likes of PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva, fearsome Croatian striker Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, and Japanese MMA pioneer Tsuyoshi Kohsaka.

These days “The Super Samoan” calls the UFC home. After falling on hard times in the last days of PRIDE and early days of DREAM, Hunt, who dropped his first UFC bout to Sean McCorkle, has turned things around by putting together two victories in a row inside the Octagon against a pair of formidable opponents in Chris Tuchscherer and “Big” Ben Rothwell.

The UFC recently announced that Hunt will be returning to Japan to take on French striker Cheick Kongo in what should be a stand-up war of attrition at UFC 144 in February.

We recently had the opportunity to speak with the seasoned veteran about his past present and future in the sport.

Here’s what he had to say:

 

You’re coming off of a decision victory over the durable Ben Rothwell. What were your thoughts on your performance in that bout?

It was good to get the win, especially fighting at high altitude. It was pretty difficult. [It was] definitely good to get the win.

 

It was recently announced that you will be returning to Japan for the first time since May of 2009 to take on French striker Cheick Kongo. What are were your thoughts when you heard about the match-up?

I’ve trained with the Wolfslair team before. It’s just the way things are. I’m supposed to be fighting, so that’s who I’m fighting. That’s the way I looked at it; business is business.

 

From your time training together, would you consider Cheick Kongo a friend?

Well, he did help me with my training with the Wolfslair team, but I think it’s just the way things are. Like I said, business is business.

 

How do you feel you match up with Cheick?

We’re both strikers and I think it will be a good fight.

 

Is it safe to say this one will be staying on the feet?

I don’t mind if it goes to the ground. If it goes to the ground it goes to the ground. [It] doesn’t bother me. It can go wherever it wants. It just depends on the night.

 

If it were up to you would it stay on the feet?

I’ll take it wherever I want to take it. If I want to go to the ground, I’ll go to the ground.

 

You’ve competed in Japan most of your career. What is it like to compete in front of the Japanese audience?

It’s great. The Japanese really dig fighting and I love fighting in front of the Japanese fans. It’s been a while since I fought in Japan, but I’m looking forward to going back and fighting there.

 

How would you compare it with the North American audience?

The Americans are vocal, I had to get used to that. I think everyone just has to warm up to the fighters. The Japanese fans are much more subdued until they see something happen, and it doesn’t really take much to make the Americans fans go crazy. Someone gets in there and starts getting beat up and they go crazy (laughs).

 

Do you have a preference?

It doesn’t matter; I love fighting.

 

After five straight losses, were you surprised to get signed by the UFC?

Not really. I’m a pretty talented person, that’s why I got signed by the UFC.

 

How were you able to mentally overcome a string of losses like that?

It was pretty hard, you know what I mean? I didn’t know what it was. I tried different trainers, went and trained at a different camp, tried to learn how to train properly and I still lost. I think training back here in Australia –  training in my own back yard, sort of gave me the edge to get back on the winning track. I think that’s probably what it was. I have no idea what it was but it suddenly made me try and start winning, so it was good. Whatever it was, keep staying that way. (laughs)

 

What other changes have you made in your last few bouts to turn your luck around?

I’ve just been training hard, trying to do proper camps and things like that. I’m really looking forward to this fight. I’m in the best shape. Everything should be going really good. My mindset is really good at the moment and I’m just trying to keep it going.

 

You are frequently criticized for your lack of submission skills. How do you respond to the critics?

Critics are critics. You can’t really win either way. You just keep fighting and winning, that’s the only way to silence the critics. When you’re out on the main stage of fighting you not thinking about the critics, it’s just the way it is when you’re out there fighting. You’ve just got to keep fighting and winning, that’s all there is to it.

 

We saw you go for an armbar against Ben Rothwell. Is your submission game something you’ve been focusing on?

I was working really hard for that armbar. The climate there is tough. I only had two weeks there, and you probably need two months to get used to the air. It hit me really hard around the second round. I was working really hard, but people probably thought it didn’t look like it (laughs).

 

As a mixed martial artist, what’s the key to continue going strong even as you approach your 40s?

Well I’m 37, I’ve got three more years. What’s the key? I still think I’m the best fighter on the planet. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t believe it. That’s probably one of the reasons; I’m trying to achieve the goal of becoming MMA’s world champion. That’s pretty much the reason I just keep going.

 

Where do you think a victory over Cheick Kongo puts you in the UFC heavyweight division?

Well, I don’t really care where it puts me. Just keep winning and winning and knocking people out and I don’t really care where it puts me. After I’ve knocked out three or four people, maybe the UFC will say I need another four fights, who knows. I’m going in there trying to win every fight as if it’s my last.

 

How much longer will we see Mark Hunt compete?

I’m a fighter. I’m a warrior, man. They are going to wheel my ass to the ring. They are going to push me into the ring in the wheelchair and I’ll still be fighting (laughs). I’ll fight as long as I can. I still have some goals and dreams. I still believe I’m the best fighter on the planet, it’s just a matter of proving it. I’m in a pretty good position to try and keep moving forward, so we’ll see what happens in February. I’m looking forward to it, and feeling pretty good at the moment.

 

You just mentioned still having goals and dreams in MMA. What are they?

 [They are] to be the best fighter on the planet, of course.

 

Is the ultimate goal in that plan to hold the UFC heavyweight championship?

Yes, sir. That’s where it ends up. The best fighter on the planet is thought to hold the UFC world title, right? That’s pretty much what I want to be doing is holding that title and saying I’m the best fighter on this planet.

 

Speaking of the UFC heavyweight title, how do you feel you match up with current champion Junior Dos Santos?

I don’t really care. He’s the current champion at the moment, but it doesn’t really matter. Every fighter has two arms and two legs, that’s the way I see it.

 

In the future, would you ever consider a return to kickboxing or K-1?

No, I already accomplished that goal a long time ago and I’m focused on right here. I`ve already been a world champion in K-1, and I lost interest and focus on fighting kickboxing matches. Like I said, I only want to be a mixed martial artist. The last fight I had against Semmy Schilt was something I had to do to get the rest of the fights. They suckered me into that, didn’t they? (laughs)

 

Thanks and good luck with the fight.

Take care, mate.

 

MMA Monday Headlines with Amber Nichole

Amber Nichole tweeted this proof picture [above] and we’re not exactly sure what it’s for…maybe for her calendar. Regardless, it’s lovely. Gray Maynard is expected to leave Xtreme Couture as announced on HDNet’s Inside MMA.

Amber Nichole tweeted this proof picture [above] and we’re not exactly sure what it’s for…maybe for her calendar. Regardless, it’s lovely.

Gray Maynard is expected to leave Xtreme Couture as announced on HDNet’s Inside MMA by his [former] boxing coach, Gil Martinez.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Eddie Wineland rumored for UFC on Fox 2 card in January.

UFC 144 adds Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Hunt and Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso.

Stephan Bonnar vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson may be in the works.

Chael Sonnen accepts (via Twitter) Anderson Silva‘s offer to fight in Brazil.

Cung Le gets paid $350,000 for loss to Wanderlei Silva at UFC 139.

Check out the pay differences of Saturday nights UFC 139 fighters to Friday night’s Strikeforce Challengers 20 fighter payouts.

Junior dos Santos looking to box in the 2016 Olympics.

Knockout of the Day: Kenny Robertson’s Peek-a-Boo Spinning Backfist on Lucio Linhares

(Video courtesy of YouTube/. The end begins at the 4:47 mark.) 

Every now and again, I like to surf the Sherdog mainframes and see if I can make it from one fighter to another simply through their past opponents, like a “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” for MMA, if you will. For example, let’s say I wanted to go from Scott Smith to Mark Hunt. Now, where most of us would scoff, “That’s ridiculous, those two fight in entirely different weight classes!”, consider this.

1. Scott Smith has fought as high as heavyweight before. Don’t believe me? Find the video of his fight against James Irvin, and marvel at how much the human body can shrink, or expand for that matter.

2. Scott Smith fought Tim Kennedy in Kennedy’s professional debut (Smith won via cut) –>Kennedy submitted Melvin Manhoef in March at Strikeforce-Feijao vs. Henderson –>Manhoef became the only man in MMA to crack the iron jaw of Mark Hunt back at K1 Dynamite!! Power of Courage in 2008. Voila.

You may be asking yourself, why such a lengthy explanation for a knockout video involving none of the above people I just mentioned? Well, if I hadn’t noticed that UFC veteran Xavier Foupa-Pokam fought yesterday at the same M1 Global event that saw Fedor notch his first win in over a year, I would have never jumped to Mr. Pokam’s fighter profile to see that he lost via triangle to fellow UFC vet Lucio Linhares back in January. It was there I found that, since being booted from the UFC, Linhares had put together a three fight win streak that was snapped in the above video just a few weeks ago. You can thank my boredom later.


(Video courtesy of YouTube/kamppailukanava. The end begins at the 4:47 mark.) 

Every now and again, I like to surf the Sherdog mainframes and see if I can make it from one fighter to another simply through their past opponents, like a “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” for MMA, if you will. For example, let’s say I wanted to go from Scott Smith to Mark Hunt. Now, where most of us would scoff, “That’s ridiculous, those two fight in entirely different weight classes!”, consider this.

1. Scott Smith has fought as high as heavyweight before. Don’t believe me? Find the video of his fight against James Irvin, and marvel at how much the human body can shrink, or expand for that matter.

2. Scott Smith fought Tim Kennedy in Kennedy’s professional debut (Smith won via cut) –>Kennedy submitted Melvin Manhoef in March at Strikeforce-Feijao vs. Henderson –>Manhoef became the only man in MMA to crack the iron jaw of Mark Hunt back at K1 Dynamite!! Power of Courage in 2008. Voila.

You may be asking yourself, why such a lengthy explanation for a knockout video involving none of the above people I just mentioned? Well, if I hadn’t noticed that UFC veteran Xavier Foupa-Pokam fought yesterday at the same M1 Global event that saw Fedor notch his first win in over a year, I would have never jumped to Mr. Pokam’s fighter profile to see that he lost via triangle to fellow UFC vet Lucio Linhares back in January. It was there I found that, since being booted from the UFC, Linhares had put together a three fight win streak that was snapped in the above video just a few weeks ago. You can thank my boredom later.

Anyway, let’s get to the fight itself, which saw UFC one-and-doner Kenny Robertson turn a tedious leg kick by Linhares into a takedown in the early going. After getting back to his feet, “Spartan” was able to mount some offense, mainly consisting of wild, looping punches, before attempting a single leg that would send Robertson toppling head-over-heels. Here’s where things would get interesting.

After rolling to his feet, Robertson appeared to be performing a tribute to Kalib Starnes v. Nate Quarry, rushing out of the corner like it was the Water Temple level from The Legend of Zelda. Linhares would give chase, hands down and chin high, and walk right into a perfectly timed spinning backfist that would drop him like a sack of Coxinhas at Boi Bumba.

Tough break for Linhares, who will likely have to put a few more wins together before we see him back in the octagon. As for Robertson, who knows? Bellator could always use another challenge for Ben Askren if he gets past Douglas Lima, which I really, really hope he doesn’t.

-Danga 

Falling Action: Best and Worst of UFC 135

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Jon JonesIn the UFC 135 pre-fight press conference UFC president Dana White said he could tell the Jones-Jackson main event was a “breakthrough fight” because of all the celebrities who were willing to fly to Denver — Denver, of all places! — just to see it.

I’m not saying that’s not true, but I am saying that maybe you don’t want to spit out the name of the host city like you can’t believe any famous people would be willing to go there. Denver’s actually a pretty great city — one with pro sports teams and all that jazz. Maybe the nightclubs don’t stay open as long as the David Spade types would like, but the fact that they might be willing to make the flight anyway is maybe not as important to John Q. Fight Fan as it is to White. Like any main event, it’s a big deal because it’s a good fight, not the other way around.

But now that another UFC event is in the books and the dust has settled on the tiny, godforsaken hamlet of Denver, it’s time again to sort through the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.

Biggest Winner: Jon Jones
No surprise here. The champ defended his belt in dominant fashion, showing that he could do just about anything he felt like to ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Crawling around on all fours? Sure. Tossing Jackson over his back after the end of a round? Why not. Jackson could hardly lay a glove on Jones until he went to pat him on the shoulder and give him his respect after it was all over. The scary thing is he’s only 24 years old. If I were a light heavyweight in the UFC, I’d either want to fight him right away, before he has a chance to get any better, or else much further in the future, after stardom may have taken its toll on him. If you get him somewhere in the middle, as Rashad Evans probably will, it could be big trouble. Now that the mere mention of Evans’ name seems to upset Jones, psychological warfare could be “Suga’s” best hope against the champ.


Biggest Loser: Takanori Gomi
Not only did he lose his second straight fight and his third in four UFC attempts, but he got absolutely throttled by Nate Diaz. In a lot of ways it was reminiscent of his loss to Nick Diaz, only without the brief period of effective offense in the beginning (or, hopefully, the eye-popping drug test results later). It’s hard not to wonder where this leaves the 33-year-old Gomi. His UFC run has been a disappointment and it’s starting to look like his Pride glory days were as good as it’s ever going to get for him. The UFC may or may not keep him around just long enough to fight in the Tokyo event, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a long-term future in the UFC. It’s a shame, but it’s not terribly surprising. The game has changed a lot since 2005, and very few fighters have managed to successfully change with it all the way into the present.

Most Improved: Mark Hunt
I’m not sure when Hunt learned to wrestle, but it must have been very, very recently. He didn’t just escape the mount and stuff a couple of Ben Rothwell’s takedowns, he even got a couple double-legs of his own. Who saw that coming? I’ve heard some people grumbling about his cardio down the stretch, but after hitting Rothwell with everything but a paternity suit, I don’t blame him for being tired. I’m a little amazed that Rothwell took so many bombs from the heavy-handed Hunt, but I’m even more amazed at Hunt’s overall improvement as a fighter in the last year. You factor in the feel-good story about him turning down a UFC payoff for a chance to earn a spot on the roster, and you’ve got a heavyweight who’s very quietly earned the admiration and respect of his peers.

Best Worst Use of Ambiguous Phrasing: Matt Hughes
He’s not retiring. No way. He just wants to be put on the shelf, whatever that means for a nearly 38-year-old ex-champion. Dana White’s known Hughes for a long time, so I’m inclined to go with his translation: Hughes just can’t bring himself to say the word ‘retirement,’ even after his second straight first-round knockout loss. You don’t ask to be put on the shelf if you’re dying to fight soon. And if you’re not trying to squeeze a couple more fights in before Father Time does even more of a number on you, doesn’t that mean you’re basically easing into retirement like a senior citizen into a water aerobics class? Probably, yeah. And that’s okay. If Hughes doesn’t want to say the words, he doesn’t have to. Not right now, anyway. But six months from now when he dozes off in a recliner while watching a fishing show in the middle of the day, that’s when it’s going to hit him: my God, this is what retired people do. Maybe by then it won’t seem so bad.

Most Impressive in Defeat: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
It might have been hard to tell while he was standing in the cage with Jones, but Jackson hasn’t looked that good for a couple years. We’ve seen many different versions of ‘Rampage’ over the course of his career, from the hungry, driven one to the plodding, barely interested variety. This time he moved well, was in excellent shape, and stayed in attack mode even when Jones was sticking him at will. It’s just a shame that it took a huge title fight to bring out that level of interest in him, and that it did him little good against an opponent as talented as Jones. But look on the bright side: maybe this will show Jackson how good he can be when he puts forth the effort. He says he wants ‘Shogun’ Rua in Japan, even though Rua already has a date with Dan Henderson coming up. But the mere fact that he’s asking for specific names and locations for his next fight at least tells us that he’s interested in MMA again. Let’s hope that lasts.

Least Impressive in Victory: Travis Browne
By the third round of his heavyweight tilt with Rob Broughton, Browne was content to get the top position and move only as much as was absolutely necessary in order to stay there. He already had the decision locked up, plus he was pretty tuckered out, so there was some logic to it all. That’s cool — and, hey, it’s better to win a fight like that than lose it — but it doesn’t exactly propel you up the heavyweight ranks. Browne’s knockout wins over Stefan Struve and James McSweeney have established his bona fides as an action fighter, so what gives? Maybe he ran out of gas or simply felt like he had to play it safe against Broughton, but either way this wasn’t exactly one for the highlight reel.

Most Surprising: Takeya Mizugaki
Judging by pre and post-fight appearances alone, I don’t know if anyone at UFC 135 enjoyed themselves as much as Mizugaki. I guess it helps when you win your fight, especially via dominating second-round TKO. Oddsmakers gave Mizugaki the slight edge coming into the fight, but he had Escovedo’s number early and managed to strike a perfect balance between recklessness and strategic aggression. Good thing too, since Mizugaki needed that win. It was the first time he’s finished a fight since 2008 and his most impressive performance yet in the UFC. Plus he just seemed to be having so much fun, and who doesn’t like to see that?

Biggest Matchmaking Headache: Josh Koscheck
Koscheck may very well be the second-best welterweight in the UFC, but there is absolutely zero interest in seeing him fight Georges St-Pierre a third time, so what now? He’s open to a temporary move to middleweight for the sake of a just-for-the-hell-of-it fight with Chris Leben, and maybe that’s the best thing the UFC can do with him. But once that’s over you still have a guy who’s probably too small to make a run at middleweight, but will only knock off potential contenders if you leave him at welterweight. The good news is that, with his abrasive personality and willingness to alienate people, Koscheck can always talk himself into new rivalries. And who knows, maybe he can tread water that way until GSP eventually moves up to middleweight and it’s open season in the UFC’s 170-pound class again. You know he can’t be the only fighter waiting for that day to come.

 

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Filed under:

Jon JonesIn the UFC 135 pre-fight press conference UFC president Dana White said he could tell the Jones-Jackson main event was a “breakthrough fight” because of all the celebrities who were willing to fly to Denver — Denver, of all places! — just to see it.

I’m not saying that’s not true, but I am saying that maybe you don’t want to spit out the name of the host city like you can’t believe any famous people would be willing to go there. Denver’s actually a pretty great city — one with pro sports teams and all that jazz. Maybe the nightclubs don’t stay open as long as the David Spade types would like, but the fact that they might be willing to make the flight anyway is maybe not as important to John Q. Fight Fan as it is to White. Like any main event, it’s a big deal because it’s a good fight, not the other way around.

But now that another UFC event is in the books and the dust has settled on the tiny, godforsaken hamlet of Denver, it’s time again to sort through the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.

Biggest Winner: Jon Jones
No surprise here. The champ defended his belt in dominant fashion, showing that he could do just about anything he felt like to ‘Rampage’ Jackson. Crawling around on all fours? Sure. Tossing Jackson over his back after the end of a round? Why not. Jackson could hardly lay a glove on Jones until he went to pat him on the shoulder and give him his respect after it was all over. The scary thing is he’s only 24 years old. If I were a light heavyweight in the UFC, I’d either want to fight him right away, before he has a chance to get any better, or else much further in the future, after stardom may have taken its toll on him. If you get him somewhere in the middle, as Rashad Evans probably will, it could be big trouble. Now that the mere mention of Evans’ name seems to upset Jones, psychological warfare could be “Suga’s” best hope against the champ.


Biggest Loser: Takanori Gomi
Not only did he lose his second straight fight and his third in four UFC attempts, but he got absolutely throttled by Nate Diaz. In a lot of ways it was reminiscent of his loss to Nick Diaz, only without the brief period of effective offense in the beginning (or, hopefully, the eye-popping drug test results later). It’s hard not to wonder where this leaves the 33-year-old Gomi. His UFC run has been a disappointment and it’s starting to look like his Pride glory days were as good as it’s ever going to get for him. The UFC may or may not keep him around just long enough to fight in the Tokyo event, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a long-term future in the UFC. It’s a shame, but it’s not terribly surprising. The game has changed a lot since 2005, and very few fighters have managed to successfully change with it all the way into the present.

Most Improved: Mark Hunt
I’m not sure when Hunt learned to wrestle, but it must have been very, very recently. He didn’t just escape the mount and stuff a couple of Ben Rothwell’s takedowns, he even got a couple double-legs of his own. Who saw that coming? I’ve heard some people grumbling about his cardio down the stretch, but after hitting Rothwell with everything but a paternity suit, I don’t blame him for being tired. I’m a little amazed that Rothwell took so many bombs from the heavy-handed Hunt, but I’m even more amazed at Hunt’s overall improvement as a fighter in the last year. You factor in the feel-good story about him turning down a UFC payoff for a chance to earn a spot on the roster, and you’ve got a heavyweight who’s very quietly earned the admiration and respect of his peers.

Best Worst Use of Ambiguous Phrasing: Matt Hughes
He’s not retiring. No way. He just wants to be put on the shelf, whatever that means for a nearly 38-year-old ex-champion. Dana White’s known Hughes for a long time, so I’m inclined to go with his translation: Hughes just can’t bring himself to say the word ‘retirement,’ even after his second straight first-round knockout loss. You don’t ask to be put on the shelf if you’re dying to fight soon. And if you’re not trying to squeeze a couple more fights in before Father Time does even more of a number on you, doesn’t that mean you’re basically easing into retirement like a senior citizen into a water aerobics class? Probably, yeah. And that’s okay. If Hughes doesn’t want to say the words, he doesn’t have to. Not right now, anyway. But six months from now when he dozes off in a recliner while watching a fishing show in the middle of the day, that’s when it’s going to hit him: my God, this is what retired people do. Maybe by then it won’t seem so bad.

Most Impressive in Defeat: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
It might have been hard to tell while he was standing in the cage with Jones, but Jackson hasn’t looked that good for a couple years. We’ve seen many different versions of ‘Rampage’ over the course of his career, from the hungry, driven one to the plodding, barely interested variety. This time he moved well, was in excellent shape, and stayed in attack mode even when Jones was sticking him at will. It’s just a shame that it took a huge title fight to bring out that level of interest in him, and that it did him little good against an opponent as talented as Jones. But look on the bright side: maybe this will show Jackson how good he can be when he puts forth the effort. He says he wants ‘Shogun’ Rua in Japan, even though Rua already has a date with Dan Henderson coming up. But the mere fact that he’s asking for specific names and locations for his next fight at least tells us that he’s interested in MMA again. Let’s hope that lasts.

Least Impressive in Victory: Travis Browne
By the third round of his heavyweight tilt with Rob Broughton, Browne was content to get the top position and move only as much as was absolutely necessary in order to stay there. He already had the decision locked up, plus he was pretty tuckered out, so there was some logic to it all. That’s cool — and, hey, it’s better to win a fight like that than lose it — but it doesn’t exactly propel you up the heavyweight ranks. Browne’s knockout wins over Stefan Struve and James McSweeney have established his bona fides as an action fighter, so what gives? Maybe he ran out of gas or simply felt like he had to play it safe against Broughton, but either way this wasn’t exactly one for the highlight reel.

Most Surprising: Takeya Mizugaki
Judging by pre and post-fight appearances alone, I don’t know if anyone at UFC 135 enjoyed themselves as much as Mizugaki. I guess it helps when you win your fight, especially via dominating second-round TKO. Oddsmakers gave Mizugaki the slight edge coming into the fight, but he had Escovedo’s number early and managed to strike a perfect balance between recklessness and strategic aggression. Good thing too, since Mizugaki needed that win. It was the first time he’s finished a fight since 2008 and his most impressive performance yet in the UFC. Plus he just seemed to be having so much fun, and who doesn’t like to see that?

Biggest Matchmaking Headache: Josh Koscheck
Koscheck may very well be the second-best welterweight in the UFC, but there is absolutely zero interest in seeing him fight Georges St-Pierre a third time, so what now? He’s open to a temporary move to middleweight for the sake of a just-for-the-hell-of-it fight with Chris Leben, and maybe that’s the best thing the UFC can do with him. But once that’s over you still have a guy who’s probably too small to make a run at middleweight, but will only knock off potential contenders if you leave him at welterweight. The good news is that, with his abrasive personality and willingness to alienate people, Koscheck can always talk himself into new rivalries. And who knows, maybe he can tread water that way until GSP eventually moves up to middleweight and it’s open season in the UFC’s 170-pound class again. You know he can’t be the only fighter waiting for that day to come.

 

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‘UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage’ Aftermath: Jon Jones, the Present of MMA

“No, your breath does not smell like doodoo. Don’t say that, Quinton”. (Photo: UFC.com)

There are some folks who believe that you’re not really a champion until you successfully defend your belt. For those of you who agree, meet Jon Jones, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

“Bones” did whatever he wanted from the opening bell, starting the fight crouched in a Bloodsport-inspired fighting stance (and yes, Steven Seagal is a little butthurt over that). From that moment his unorthodoxy never waned. Spinning elbows and kicks are common weapons in his arsenal, and he seemed as comfortable throwing them as ever. Jones shows no fear of what his damage his opponent might do should he miss or leave himself open, and at this point it looks like we may never find out. According to FightMetric, Rampage failed to land a single power shot to the head. We’re all eager to laud Jones as the future of his division and the man to bring stability to 205lbs, and with good reason, but dammit I still want to see him get popped in the jaw a few times before we weld that belt around his waist.

“No, your breath does not smell like doodoo. Don’t say that, Quinton”. (Photo: UFC.com)

There are some folks who believe that you’re not really a champion until you successfully defend your belt. For those of you who agree, meet Jon Jones, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

“Bones” did whatever he wanted from the opening bell, starting the fight crouched in a Bloodsport-inspired fighting stance (and yes, Steven Seagal is a little butthurt over that). From that moment his unorthodoxy never waned. Spinning elbows and kicks are common weapons in his arsenal, and he seemed as comfortable throwing them as ever. Jones shows no fear of what damage his opponent might do should he miss or leave himself open, and at this point it looks like we may never find out. According to FightMetric, Rampage failed to land a single power shot to the head. We’re all eager to laud Jones as the future of his division and the man to bring stability to 205lbs, and with good reason, but dammit I still want to see him get popped in the jaw a few times before we weld that belt around his waist.

As for Rampage, I thought his defense looked exceptional. For a guy “mesmerized” by Jones’ offense, he showed us that spinning elbows and kicks look a lot less impressive when they miss, and he ducked quite a few of them in this bout. He also managed to avoid several of those fancy trips and throws as well. I bet a lot of Memphis-based facial reconstructive surgeons were grinning ear-to-ear when Jones secured the mount, but Rampage showed some skill off his back in shucking the champion off and working to his feet. As for his offense…well, it was his usual two-pronged attack of lefts and rights. Sure, he threw out a token leg kick or two, but the versatility he showed in the Hamill fight was gone. Then again, a fight against Jon Jones may not be the best time to throw away your tried and true weapons in favor of a little experimentation. I expected a slow, flat-footed Rampage to get thoroughly worked over by a well-rounded fighter last night, and though he didn’t put the champ in any danger, I think he looked as good as anyone can against Jones at this point in time.

Damn, how much does Matt Hughes love to compete? The man has nothing left to fight for other than fighting itself, and at age 37, following his second consecutive first round knock out, he still can’t bring himself to retire. In a day when many fighters fight to protect their record or simply to collect a check, it’s nice to see someone step into the cage purely for a love of the game. But at the same time, the game he loves has changed. As much as Goldy and Rogan were celebrating the performance of “K1 Hughes” last night, I just didn’t see it. His jabs and left hooks may have succeeded in making Koscheck weary of his right eye, but they won’t succeed in putting away top competition, and for an aging wrestler in a division full of great wrestlers that spells trouble. When Kos started throwing his hands, that became clear once again. Hughes isn’t retiring, but he is placing himself “on a shelf”. That shelf holds numerous UFC records, countless belts, and an incredible legacy, and I think it’s a perfect place for him at this stage in his career.

It was hard for me to watch Mark Hunt and Ben Rothwell without thinking back to Dan Severn vs. Tank Abbott, which also went down in Denver back in 1995. If you didn’t catch that fight, there’s no rush to see it. The same goes for this one. I’ll cut them a little slack because they’re big boys fighting at altitude, but that doesn’t make it any prettier to watch. Joe Silva, when scheduling their next bouts, please consider a more suitable venue.

Gomi’s offense consisted solely of swinging that wild right for a one-punch knockout, and that proved to be a poor gameplan against a guy known for unrelenting combos. Diaz mixed in some heavy hands with the trademark Diaz “Stockton Slaps”, dropping Gomi early in the first. “The Fireball Kid” popped back up, but the punches kept coming. Diaz’s hands found their home again and again until Gomi took him down, but the former Pride champion found no refuge on the mat. Diaz instantly sunk in a triangle choke before switching to an armbar to elicit the tap. It was an impressive return to lightweight for the Cesar Gracie protege. This is Gomi’s second straight loss and his third in four fights, but with the UFC heading back to Japan he’s unlikely to be cut.

 

Full results (via AdCombat.com)

Main Card:

Jon Jones def. Quinton Jackson via Submission (rear naked choke) at 1:14, R4
Josh Koscheck def. Matt Hughes via KO (punches) at 4:59, R1
Mark Hunt def. Ben Rothwell via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-27) at 5:00, R3
Travis Browne def. Rob Broughton via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at 5:00, R3
Nate Diaz def. Takanori Gomi via Submission (armbar) at 4:27, R1.

Preliminary Card:

Tony Ferguson def. Aaron Riley via TKO (Corner Stoppage) at 5:00, R1
Tim Boetsch defeated Nick Ring via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) at 5:00, R3
Junior Assunção def. Eddie Yagin via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27) at 5:00, R3
Takeya Mizugaki def. Cole Escovedo via TKO (punches) at 4:30, R2
James Te Huna def. Ricardo Romero via KO (punches) at 0:47, R1

 

– Chris Colemon (@chriscolemon)

Dana White ‘Proud’ That Mark Hunt Turned Down Payoff to Fight in UFC

Filed under: UFCDENVER — Mark Hunt is one of the few fighters in the UFC who didn’t actually have to fight in order to get paid.

Because of the peculiarities involved in Zuffa’s purchase of Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships organization back in 2…

Filed under:

DENVER — Mark Hunt is one of the few fighters in the UFC who didn’t actually have to fight in order to get paid.

Because of the peculiarities involved in Zuffa’s purchase of Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships organization back in 2007, he could have stayed home and still collected a check, according to UFC president Dana White.

“When we bought Pride, he came as part of the Pride deal,” White said at Saturday night’s UFC 135 post-fight press conference. “It was back and forth and basically I was just like…we’ll just pay you off. We know you’re in the Pride deal. And Mark Hunt said ‘No, I want to come. I want to fight.'”

At UFC 135 Hunt won his second straight UFC bout, defeating Ben Rothwell via unanimous decision after a grueling three-round battle that saw Hunt batter Rothwell with strikes while also acquitting himself well in the ground game. It’s a long way from where most people thought he’d be after his rocky start in the UFC, not that Hunt is eager to discuss how he ended up here.

“It’s been a long journey just to get here,” said the New Zealander. “I’m still…plugging away at it. It’s been hard.”

It was especially hard after he injured his arm in a submission loss to Sean McCorkle in his UFC debut. That dropped the kickboxer’s MMA record to 5-7, and his future prospects looked grim.

But Hunt bounced back in February with a stunning walk-off knockout of Chris Tuscherer at UFC 127 in Australia, then followed it up with this clear-cut win over a very game Rothwell, who took every power shot Hunt could think of over the course of their 15-minute scrap.

“It was a really hard fight,” said Hunt. “Ben Rothwell, he’s really tough. I threw a lot of heavy shots at him, real hard shots, but he was still there.”

But according to White, what’s really impressive is how Hunt has managed to carve out a place for himself in the UFC rather than simply taking the easy money when it was offered to him. Even after White had offered to “pay [Hunt] to stay home,” he said, the heavyweight insisted on having his day in the cage.

“Let me tell you what, man, he did it,” White said. “The guy’s got a ton of heart and I have a lot of respect for him.”

Hunt, who’s never been known as one of the sport’s most verbose fighters, said he didn’t “feel like talking about” his decision to turn down the UFC’s offer to pay him off, even appearing slightly embarrassed when White brought it up.

But White said he specifically requested that Hunt come to the post-fight press conference because he wanted to highlight the situation and let everyone know how impressed he is with the former K-1 kickboxer.

“I’m glad that he opted to come here and fight and I’m proud that he fought in the UFC,” said White. “I asked him to come here tonight. If he won’t say it, I will.”

 

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