MARK HUNT
26 | FIGHT AUSTRALIA fightaustralia.com.au
Sean McCorkle, embarrassingly tapping
out to the mid-tier fighter’s straight
armbar from the bottom position after
just 63 seconds.
Hunt’s second UFC appearance
finally yielded the elusive ‘W’ by
knocking out Chris Tuchscherer — a
once promising prospect best known
for training with fellow All-American
wrestler and future UFC champion
Brock Lesnar.
The win over Tuchscherer netted
the Sydneysider a $75,000 bonus and
marked Hunt’s first MMA win since
rendering Japanese pro wrestling star
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka unconscious all the
way back in 2006.
Moreover, it was the beginning
of a four-fight winning streak that
transformed Hunt from an unwanted
burden on the promotion into a
legitimate title contender.
“After I went through all those
losses, I started changing my training
schedule — or lack thereof,” a self-
deprecating Hunt laughed. “I changed
teams, then changed everything else
to dig (myself) out of the hole.”
Finally, preparing for battle like a
pro athlete, Hunt has discovered his
true potential at an age when most of
his contemporaries are planning their
retirement parties.
“I train smarter, and I look after
my body,” he said. “I’m sort of glad I
didn’t train as hard when I was young
because my body probably wouldn’t
be the way it is. Maybe I wouldn’t
be able to keep up with these young
guys and I wouldn’t be fighting.”Whatever the secret, there’s no
mistaking that Hunt is having his
greatest success in MMA past his
suspected prime years. Sure, he’s had
his ups and downs in the UFC as well,
but the seasoned knockout artist has
resurrected his career, thriving in the
most talent-rich heavyweight division
of all time.
Hunt entered his most recent match
coming off a pair of losses (to UFC
champ Werdum and number-one
contender Stipe Miocic). Days before
the UFC 193 fight at Melbourne’s
Etihad Stadium against enormous
power puncher Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva,
Hunt told Fight! “I’ve gotta win.”
And the big man was right. He
wasn’t likely to get a pink slip if he got
clipped by one of Silva’s sledgehammer-