Losing is never easy, especially if it’s for a UFC title. In this special article, New Zealand born powerhouse Mark Hunt (10-9-1) talks exclusively to MMA Kanvas about what went wrong and what might have been against fellow heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum (19-5-1) at UFC 180.
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“I was prepared to go out and win the fight,” Hunt recalls, while reflecting on his second round TKO loss to Werdum back in November.
A short tunaround, a huge weight cut and a giant hurdle in the form of an elevated event location had “The Super Samoan” fighting at 40-50 percent of his capacity (read our exclusive interview here)- but the former K-1 Champion was intent on taking home the interim-heavyweight belt when he met number one ranked Werdum in Mexico city that night.
The Western-Sydey based fighter believes that a full training camp may not have yielded greater speed, or power in the Octagon, but a more positive frame of mind pre-fight.
“My mindset would have been way better.
Everything would have been a lot better,” he says.
So does he regret the decision to fight the big Brazilian on such short notice?
“I always take an opportunity when I’ve been given it. Not many of us get good opportunities in our lives and as a fighter;
I don’t like to turn down any fights. It was my fault that I wasn’t in shape anyway, I should have stayed training. When I’m not in camp I’m with my family and kids, I’m not actually a fighter. I’m just being a father,” he explains.
And so, with deceptive speed and well known, one-punch KO power, the 40 year old went after Werdum from the get go, knocking him down on several occasions in the very first frame of their scheduled five round clash.
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