The world of martial arts is literally replete with various stars. However, in this galaxy there are some guys who should pay closer attention. Especially deserving of fights without rules. Mark Hunt in these fights was one of the pioneers, so we’ll talk about him in more detail.
Curriculum Vitae
Super Samoanets (just such a nickname this MMA fighter wears) was born in a rather disadvantaged area of Auckland on March 23, 1974. Initially, Mark Hunt did not plan to connect his life with professional fights, but after he knocked out several opponents near a night club one evening, his life changed dramatically. One of the guards of this entertainment institution invited the guy to work out in the gym. From this moment, Mark Hunt began a new life, in which training in the best martial arts halls of the world took the main place.
Fighting career
Initially, the New Zealander was not considered a very promising fighter and received small fees. But everything changed after Mark Hunt literally removed his opponents from the ring at the K-1 Oceania tournament and got the right to go to Japan in order to take part in the K-1 qualification battles, where he lost already in the first match.
But the next year was successful for our hero. In 2001, he again won the right to go to the land of the rising sun, where he not only won the K-1 World Grand Prix tournament, but also avenged his last year's offender, Frenchman Jerome Le Banne, sending him a hard knockout in the second three-minute fight.
In 2002, Hunt held one of the most brilliant and fierce battles in the history of K-1. And again, Le Bann became his rival. The fight was saturated with mutual knockdowns, but in the end the victory went to the Frenchman, as the corner of Mark threw a towel.
The return of the New Zealander to K-1 took place in 2008, when he fought for the title with the then division leader Sammy Schilt. Unfortunately for Mark, he lost, with a knockout after kicking the liver and turning.
Transition to MMA
In 2004, Mark Hunt, whose biography is full of both bright victories and insulting defeats, held his debut match in the now legendary Pride promotion.
It should be noted that the New Zealander is still not as an outstanding fighter of a mixed style, as, for example, Emelianenko or Barnett, with whom he lost. And all because Mark did not pay too much attention to fighting in the stalls and protection from transfers to the fight. In this regard, in his career there are quite a lot of losses precisely by surrender. However, there were bright victories, in particular, over the Dutchman Stefan Struve, to whom Hunt broke his side jaw, receiving a bonus for the best knockout of the evening. Also, Mark's fight with Brazilian Antonio Silva turned out to be very bright, for which both fighters received a bonus of $ 50,000.
In the last fight at this point in time, which took place in July 2016, Super Samoanets lost by judicial decision to another MMA legend, American Brock Lesnar.
As for his personal life, Mark is married and has six children with his wife.