Mark Hunt flattened a UFC legend in Australia to set up the Brock Lesnar fight that saved UFC 200 card
Mark Hunt was a late addition to the UFC 200 card after a disaster saw the main event get removed from the show at short notice.
The card was originally supposed to feature Conor McGregor taking on Nate Diaz in a rematch from Notoriousâs shock defeat at UFC 196.
However, the former UFC double champion announced his shock, albeit brief, retirement from the UFC months before the event, leaving Dana White scrambling for a main event.
That was Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier, but after Jonesâ failed drug test, a new bout involving Brock Lesnarâs return to the octagon was on offer for the winner of Mark Huntâs main event in Australia.
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Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty ImagesMark Hunt flattened Frank Mir in Australia to set up clash with Brock LesnarMcGregor posted his supposed retirement on social media on April 19, which handed Jones vs Cormier the main event.
However, once Jones failed his drug test and was refused a spot on the card, White had to hand Brock Lesnar a $2.5 million cheque to return to the promotion to headline the event.
As it turns out, a bout between two top ten Heavyweights had been the de facto fight to face Lesnar, when #9-ranked Hunt took on the legendary Frank Mir in a titanic battle in the UFC in Australia.
Mir may have been the younger and taller man, but Hunt possessed that unstoppable power in his fist that could put even the toughest fighters to sleep, which he proved in Brisbane on March 20, 2016.
The bout didnât even make it past the first round. Mir tried to keep away from Huntâs fists while attempting, unsuccessfully, to take down one of the top Kiwi fighters of all time.
A heavy-looking Mir struggled to move around Hunt, who only needed one massive right hand to end the fight via knockout.
Hunt walked away before the referee had even called the fight, hitting one of the most nonchalant walk-off KOs youâll ever see in the octagon.
The win set Hunt up perfectly for a clash with Lesnar at UFC 200, although it was a fight that he would become furious about once the truth came out.
Mark Hunt was furious about Brock Lesnar failing multiple drug tests after losing to the former championHunt lost to Lesnar over three rounds by a judgesâ decision at one of the highest-drawing PPVs in UFC history, although the result was later overturned due to Lesnar failing a drug test, just as Jones had prior to UFC 200.
This was something Hunt never forgot, and he launched legal proceedings against Lesnar and the UFC, which were eventually shot down. However, the idea of Lesnar cheating just made him furious.
He told Ariel Helwani in an interview in 2016: âIt just makes me laugh, because thatâs how he won his world title.
âHe stuck a needle in his poo-shoot and thatâs how he won his title. People say, âoh Mark, it doesnât help you.â Well then if it doesnât help you, why do it? Youâre that scared of losing?
âI mean, shucks, itâs funny that one cheater calls out another cheater, says âoh man, thatâs really unprofessional.â What the hell does that make you
I donât give a ratâs aâ about working in the UFC anymore because they donât do anything about. They donât do anything about it.
âSo all of these kids listening to this, watching this, youâre wasting your time trying to get into these companies because they donât give a ratâs about you. Theyâll just throw you under the bus.â
Hunt only won once more in his career, beating Derrick Lewis before back-to-back-to-back losses ended his run in the UFC.
That win in Australia set up arguably the biggest fight of his life, although it later turned out to be something he grew to hate once the truth about Lesnar was revealed.
