Musings from a long time Hunt fan

[Limbo Pete]

I first started watching Hunt-o fight back in 2000 because I loved his style and his story. There's just something about a 5' 10" Samoan dude throwing bombs at guys 7 inches taller than himself that always entertains me.
When he first came to the UFC, all I ever heard was trash talk for how terribly bad he was. To be fair, he deserved most of the criticism he got. He didn't train and had basically no desire to fight the way I still remembered he could. That lack of motivation turned him into a joke for those that couldn't remember how glorious his fights had been in the past, and his terrible loss to McCorkle cemented his status as a total loser.
Or so it seemed.....
Very fortunately for us, the Mark Hunt of today is not that same fighter. The guy that stuck it out with the no. 4 heavyweight ( a MONSTER of a man) for 25 minutes just made it clear that he is no joke and is most certainly capable of mixing it up with the best there is- because he is also one of the best there is.
The message tonight is that the haters are fuckin wrong. Mark Hunt is actually relevant to the division. If putting on a show like that doesn't get him some respect, at 40 years old, then I just don't know what will. At the very least, he puts on shows that are very, very good.
On the other side of the coin, I gotta give crazy props to Bigfoot. I haven't had much of an opinion on him at all but tonight made me an instant fan. Simple as that. It takes 2 guys to put on a FOTN and he really worked for it.
I never thought I could be satisfied with a draw but tonight proved me wrong about that, among other things.

War Hunt-o!!!!!

...and War Bigfoot, too.

 

[dfoster]

I didn't know he had any hater.

Yes, his continuous improvement even after set backs has been impressive. It's like he adopts that "chin" to his MMA journey

 

[TripAtTheBrain]

Mark Hunt is the single baddest motherfucker on the planet. A pure kickboxer who is almost always at a size disadvantage and learning this whole MMA thing as he goes along against the best in the world. Will fight anyone. Doesn't give a fuck.

Mark Hunt is beyond beast.

 

[Sosua]

Win, lose or draw, Mark Fucking Hunt is a goddamn man.

 

[UK_MMA]

I didn't know he had any hater.

He refused to train BJJ, refused to get in shape, interviewed drunk, etc so a lot of people considered him a joke. When he came over from Pride, most of the UFC fans at the time at best discounted him and expected him to get destroyed and cut in his first fight.

WAR HUNTO

 

[El Che]

War Mark Muthafuckin Hunt

 

[Limbo Pete]

He refused to train BJJ, refused to get in shape, interviewed drunk, etc so a lot of people considered him a joke. When he came over from Pride, most of the UFC fans at the time at best discounted him and expected him to get destroyed and cut in his first fight.

WAR HUNTO

Yeah, those were the dark days.

 

[SmilesNCries**]

He refused to train BJJ, refused to get in shape, interviewed drunk, etc so a lot of people considered him a joke. When he came over from Pride, most of the UFC fans at the time at best discounted him and expected him to get destroyed and cut in his first fight.

WAR HUNTO

Seriously? What a fucking hero. Those things make him even more likeable if thats even possible. Leeeegend

 

[SharkBoy]

Hunt is the man

 

[GNP91]

Lol dude's a chin with kickboxing who's doing good in the hw division. Hw for fucks sake. sherdog always sympathizes with the old chubby guy who has heart that fought in pride but hates on the young studs like jon jones who destroy dudes using a full mma arsenal. I wonder why? lol Just Bleed pre 2010 sher***s

 

[scorpiorising]

Yeah a lot of people dont remember some of the dark days. Seems to have turned it around

 

[Dave Kitson 209]

Mark hunt is everything every man wishes he was. Simple

 

[Turninkoff]

I remember when I started to watch MMA that I thought Timmay was a clown that I could trounce as I was bigger and I figured stronger and in just as good of condition if only a few inches shorter. Then I saw Pride. Crocop was kicking peoples' heads off and he wasn't even the best. I started watching whatever free combat sports came in my TV and I finally saw Hunt in K1. Instant fan, and he had shook off the fear-inspiring Crocop head kicks like a horse shakes a fly off. He's got something about him because he shouldn't win if you're looking at him like someone who doesn't know who he is. I was excited for his entry to Pride and even went out if my way to buy the PPV when he fought Fedor. I loved the last emperor but I was all Hunt that night as he landed on top and went for the arm lock. In the time between the end if Pride and his arrival in the UFC I watched old HL vids and hoped he'd stage a comeback. The Manhoef fight was devastating. I was pissed at how Dana talked about him and thought for sure he was done after McCorkle. But you can't count that man out. He's still got whatever made me a fan in the first place and it's not the physical gifts that today are not what they once were. But he's a fighter to the core. I'll always be a fan.