About Mark Hunt
When they squared off at the UFC on Fuel 8, most people believed that Mark Hunt didn’t belong in a cage with a seven foot Stefan Struve. Sure, Hunt had a strong kickboxing history, and yes, he had won three straight matches at the time. Nevertheless, Struve was tipped to lead the UFC heavyweight class into the future. Therefore, many thought Struve was ready to expose the former PRIDE fighter for what he was—an MMA athlete who was barely below contender level—when he mounted Hunt in the opening round.
Hunt, though, was able to get out of that awkward ground position, defeat Struve with his hands in round two, and finish the fight with a left hand in round three.
The fact is that Hunt once more demonstrated why he was a fighter to watch. This is his tale.
Date of Birth: Mark Hunt was born on March 23, 1974 in South Auckland, New Zealand.
Martial Arts History
The majority of individuals visit bars to mingle and drink. Furthermore, the majority of people involved in confrontations outside of nightclubs end up in trouble or worse. In Hunt’s instance, a bouncer called Sam Marsters was impressed by him during a fight, which is where his fighting career actually began. Marsters then extended a formal invitation for Hunt to start training at his facility. After relocating to Sydney, Australia, he continued his training there under the direction of Alex Tui. Hunt eventually found himself working with Hape Ngaranoa at Liverpool Kickboxing Gym.
Fighting Career
In Sydney, Australia, in 1999, Hunt made his professional kickboxing debut by decisively defeating Chris Chrispoulides. Hunt overcame opponents like Jerome Le Banner and Stefan Leko along the road in the course of a pretty successful career. He was renowned for having a strong jaw and only twice by (T)KO against opponents like Semmy Schilt and Jerome Le Banner (rematch).
Hunt had a kickboxing record of 30-13 through 2008.
Beginnings of MMA
At PRIDE: Critical Countdown 2004, Hunt made his MMA debut for the now-defunct PRIDE company, losing to Hidehiko Yoshida by armbar in the opening round. After that, he had a five-fight winning streak, winning over fighters like Wanderlei Silva and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.
Before the UFC, a losing streak
Unfortunately for Hunt, he had suffered five straight defeats before making his UFC debut on September 25, 2010. Six defeats in a row for him after losing to Sean McCorkle in his UFC debut.
Combative Style
Hunt is renowned for his raw strength, skill in the ring, and strong jaw. His ground game keeps getting better, as it has since his UFC debut. He is a striker through and through, though, as a result.
