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Mark Hunt: I couldn’t beat a wooden chair

Mark Hunt has experienced extraordinary ups and downs in MMA, and now finds himself in a win or be fired…

Chris Palmquist

September 19, 2011 · 2 min read

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Mark Hunt has experienced extraordinary ups and downs in MMA, and now finds himself in a win or be fired fight vs Ben Rothwell at UFC 135

Hunt made his debut in mixed martial arts after winning the prestigious 2001 K-1 kickboxing Grand Prix in Japan.

The victory led to Hunt being signed by the PRIDE Fighting Championships.

In his first fight for PRIDE, he was defeated via armbar by Judo gold medallist, Hidehiko Yoshida in the first round.

He rebounded from the loss to rack up five straight wins, including wins over the highly ranked stars Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic.

His streak would be snapped by losses to Josh Barnett and Fedor Emelianenko. Then, following the shut-down of PRIDE, he would make it five losses in a rown.

I think the lowest moment was every fight I was just losing and I just didn’t know what the hell was going on. Hunt said.

I just couldn’t get it right. I didn’t know what it was. It was just a mental block. It didn’t matter who I fought, I would have just lost anyway.

They could have put me in with a wooden chair and I still would have lost. It was just inside my mind and I had to break the cycle.

In a bizarre turn of events however, despite the losing streak, Hunt was picked up by the UFC. The UFC’s acquisition of PRIDE meant that they contractually owed fights to Hunt.

Hunt’s UFC career did not start well as he was submitted in the first round by UFC newcomer, Sean McCorkle at UFC 119.

He was given another fight and made the most of it as he knocked out Chris Tuchscherer earlier this year at Australia’s UFC 127.

The win not only snapped his six-fight losing streak but earned him another fight in the UFC. His UFC 135 opponent, Ben Rothwell, is a more highly touted opponent than Tuchscherer but Hunt doesn’t believe it’s a sign of him moving into the heavyweight title picture.

I don’t think I’m sitting anywhere at the moment. I think a few more fights, three or four more fights for me to get into the picture at all.

I don’t see myself anywhere in the heavyweight division, yet I still feel I’m the best on the planet of course or else I wouldn’t be doing it.