Mark Hunt confirms UFC deal, fight with Sean McCorkle at UFC 119
by Steven Marrocco on Jul 08, 2010 at 7:20 pm ET
Former K-1 and PRIDE heavyweight Mark Hunt (5-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was about to hop on a plane when he spoke today to MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com). And when asked to explain his sudden move into the UFC's octagon, he had one thing to say.
"Why not?"
The 36-year-old fighter confirmed a four-fight deal with the UFC and a Sept. 25 UFC 119 meeting with Midwest standout Sean McCorkle (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
FiveOuncesofPain.com first reported the Hunt vs. McCorkle fight, which takes place in Indianapolis.
Hunt, who hails from South Auckland, New Zealand, has not fought since May 2009, when former Strikeforce and DREAM champion Gegard Mousasi submitted him in the first round of DREAM's open-weight "Super Hulk" tournament. It was his fifth consecutive loss in MMA.
Despite his recent rough road, Hunt's earlier performances bring nostalgia to hardcore fans who witnessed his tremendous upset victories over Wanderlei Silva and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in PRIDE's heyday.
The heavyweight also gave fans a jolt at PRIDE Shockwave 2006 when he threatened the once-invincible Fedor Emelianenko with an Americana arm lock before falling prey to the submission hold's cousin, a kimura.
As a kickboxer, Hunt has amassed a 30-13 record and holds notable K-1 victories over Stefan Leko and Jerome Le Banner.
McCorkle, an Indianapolis resident, also makes his UFC debut at UFC 119, which takes place at the 18,000-seat Conseco Fieldhouse. Thus far, he has fought as a super heavyweight with four of his seven victories coming by way of first-round stoppage.
Most recently, McCorkle stopped veteran journeyman Johnathan Ivey by second-round TKO for the Indianapolis-based Legends of Fighting promotion.
Hunt vs. McCorkle will be part of UFC 119's un-aired preliminary card.
For more on UFC 119, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
