Hunt: ‘If anyone can do it, I can do it’

Mark Hunt can be a little like Barney, but with a distinctive MMA edge. He can be playful and goofy and fun, and he can break your jaw, no matter who you are. He got the call of a lifetime – a shot at the UFC heavyweight championship, the baddest man on the planet.

Bad news was, at age 40 he had to drop 40+ pounds, and get in shape to fight five rounds, at 7,350 feet, in three weeks. He took the fight and started the grind, but when he showed up in Mexico city, the jovial Hunt was gone.

Fans wondered whether anyone who seemed bummed out could take the world championship. On Thursday though, happy Mark Hunt returned, and cited something recent in his personal life, that he declined to name.

“Yesterday, if you got the news I did, then you’d be freaking looking like I was,” explained Hunt, as transcribed by Shaun Al-Shatti for MMAFighting. “I’m just getting over that jazz. It wasn’t a good time, the 24 hours was hard. Mentally I wasn’t good and I was talking to all the press, so I was screwed, I was effed.

“(But) my mind is strong. I had a bit of a hiccup yesterday but I think I’m through to the other side no. It’s a hard hump to get over, but hopefully I’m through it. I’ll be good. Of course, come fight night I’ll be trying to get this belt.”

“I’m always putting positives in my head. I have to. Everyone’s talking negative stuff. I’m trying to put positive stuff into my head so I can keep (right). I’ve done it my whole life, as a kid, when people made fun of you, I put positive stuff in there to keep me going.

“My whole career’s been an underdog’s. I’m not supposed to be here. I won the world title in K-1 as a nobody. Of course I’m the underdog. Everyone is saying it. I mean, even these circumstances brings me there, but hey, man, it makes a good story. If anyone can do it, I can do it.”

Hunt’s camp was focused on weight; he didn’t even spar. And his weight is on target.

“I was 123.5 (kilos – 272 pounds) this morning, so I’m nearly there,” said Hunt.

“I haven’t had any carbs for three weeks, so I’m hungry. When I have some carbs, I’ll have the energy to think about my plan and my performance and my fighting. My plan ultimately is to go and hurt him. If you don’t know, this is the hurt business. And we’re pretty good at hurting people. My job is to go hurt Fabricio as much as I can, so he doesn’t put a hurt on me. I’ll make up a plan while I’m doing it.”

“[This is for] the No. 1 spot. [Werdum] already had this. He was fighting Cain for this spot. He was fighting Cain for the world title until a couple days ago. This is my time to take his spot.

“(But) it’s not a title. The only belt I want to put around this waist is the UFC champion’s belt, and that’s the one that Cain’s got. So if I win on Saturday night, that won’t be going around my waist. I’ll be holding it (on my shoulder). The only belt I want around this waist is the championship belt, and Cain’s got that belt.”

What do you think UG? Does Hunt take it? And if he does, is the greatest Rocky moment in the sport’s history?