At UFC 180 the interim heavyweight championship will be decided in what might be the most welcomed replacement fight ever to take place in the Ultimate Fighting Championship as Fabricio Werdum (18-5-1) takes on Mark Hunt (10-8-1) in Mexico City, Mexico.
The build up
Usually, the withdrawal of a current champion, more specifically the heavyweight champion of the world, would be met with huge disappointment, especially when that champion is the one and only Cain Velasquez who was forced off the UFC 180 Nov. 15 card due to a knee injury sustained last month. The introduction of an interim title is often criticized for its illegitimacy (at least until a unification fight takes place) simply due to the original champion’s temporary absence and anticipated return. However, when it was announced that Mark Hunt would step in to face top contender Fabricio Werdum for the interim crown, overjoyed fans responded with enthusiasm and approval.
As one of the most beloved fighters in all of MMA, Mark Hunt’s comeback in the UFC is well documented; when the UFC acquired his contract in the purchase of Pride Fighting Championships, the New Zealand native had to fight for a place on the UFC roster with heads of the promotion not seeing a place for him due to a 5-fight losing streak.
Nevertheless, Hunt was given a chance, and despite losing his UFC debut to Sean McCorkle in 2010, he would go on to tally a run of 5-1-1, including knockout wins over the likes of Cheick Kongo, Stefan Struve, and most recently Roy Nelson, in addition to ‘the greatest heavyweight fight in UFC history’ when Hunt and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva fought an epic battle that was declared a draw (Silva failed his post-fight drug test due to performance enhancing drugs). Hunt’s only loss since 2010 came at the hands of former champion Junior dos Santos when Hunt fell victim to a third round knockout in what was declared Fight of the Night at UFC 160. It would be fair to say that when he came to the UFC, few people expected Mark Hunt to last, let alone establish himself as one of the toughest and most durable fighters on the roster.
Similarly, Brazil’s Fabricio Werdum has also gone through an unexpected resurgence. As a top heavyweight prospect the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert initially flopped out of the UFC after just a 2-2 stint. knockout wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera were sandwiched between a decision loss to Andrei Arlovski, and Junior dos Santos who knocked out Werdum during the first round of their contest at UFC 90 back in 2008 prior to his release.
Werdum went on to post a 3-1 record in rival promotion Strikeforce, losing only by decision to Alistair Overeem in 2011. Werdum caught everyone’s attention when he shocked the world on June 26, 2010 by submitting the great Fedor Emelianenko, and made his way back to the UFC where he’s since put together four straight wins over Roy Nelson, Mike Russow, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and most recently Travis Browne in a fight to determine the no.1 contender to Velasquez.
The fight
With an abundance of gold medals as a world champion submission grappler, Werdum’s ability on the ground has gone unquestioned throughout his time spent in the UFC. However, since his return the 37-year-old’s striking – muay thai in particular, has stood out and appears greatly improved under the influence of Rafael Cordeiro; using his height and range with a clinical variety of shots, first revealed against Roy Nelson when ‘Vai Cavalo’ produced a wealth of strong precision blows as he moved forward, complete with an arsenal of front kicks to pick apart the iron-jawed American, and don’t forget that mean clinch game – loaded with hellish, face busting knees.
There’s no doubt that Mark Hunt has a tall task at hand. The 40-year-old will be in extremely deep water on the ground, and so the heavy handed striker must call upon his years of kickboxing experience that earned him the K-1 World Grand Prix Championship in 2001. Even then, the 5’10 Hunt gives away 6-inches in height with a 3-inch reach disadvantage. As stated in a recent sit down interview with Ariel Helwani, Hunt may not be the most pure bred martial artist, but ‘The Super Samoan’ boasts 24-years of fighting experience against all shapes and sizes.
Hunt’s decades of experience enable him to stand with anyone. When reading opponents he times his shots and can hit the target from all angles. His granite chin is a phenomenon of the sport, and he packs a destructive punch that has rendered men unconscious with the most casual looking of shots. Hunt has proved he can sustain incredible damage and still make it to the fifth round, even if he is running on fumes. While most heavyweight knockout artists will have a limited window before they become tired and drained of power, Hunt maintains a knockout threat in later rounds despite struggling to maintain his stamina.
There are a number worrying concerns for Hunt heading into UFC 180. Sadly, it was revealed this week that Hunt’s mindset is troubled with personal issues heading into Saturday night, yet he remains confident and claims to nevertheless be focused on achieving victory. Physically, Werdum will be a step ahead with Hunt having considerably less time to prepare his body due to coming in as the replacement opponent – this being an issue that could severely hinder a man of his size when fighting at high altitude.
The prediction
It cannot be understated just how emotional a victory for Hunt would be at UFC 180, as the Cinderella man is on the verge of completing one of the greatest stories in all of sport today. While Hunt’s power will be a danger throughout, his reactions will be slowed as the championship rounds close in. Werdum will fight smart and avoid overzealous attacks that might provide an opening for his powerful opponent. The Brazilian will use range to pick apart Hunt before relaxing in the later rounds where he’ll feel safe enough to take more risks. Werdum will score a takedown and rear-naked-choke in the championship rounds once Hunt is tired and more susceptible to a pressing offense.
Full card:
Heavyweight: Fabrício Werdum vs. Mark Hunt – UFC interim heavyweight championship
Welterweight: Jake Ellenberger vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Featherweight: Ricardo Lamas vs. Dennis Bermudez
Welterweight: Augusto Montaño vs. Chris Heatherly
Welterweight: Edgar García vs. Héctor Urbina
Featherweight: Yair Rodríguez vs. Leonardo Morales
Bantamweight: Alejandro Pérez vs. José Alberto Quiñónez
Women’s Bantamweight: Jessica Eye vs. Leslie Smith
Featherweight: Gabriel Benítez vs. Humberto Brown
Bantamweight: Enrique Briones vs. Guido Cannetti
Bantamweight: Marco Beltrán vs. Marlon Vera
