Mark Hunt, without question, did the unthinkable at UFC Fight Night 52 in Japan, in his old stomping grounds: he knocked out Roy "Big Country" Nelson. Knocked him out clean, with a walk-off. It was a single punch that did it, and the fight had been close til then, with Big Country arguably taking the first round, and scoring a take-down in the second as well. Later in that frame, however, Godzilla struck, and down went King Kong. It wasn't the great fight we were hoping for - it didn't live up to Hunt vs. Bigfoot - but it wasn't a bad fight, either. It also puts Hunt in an interesting situation. He was sixth in the division coming into the fight, Nelson was eighth.The win should push Hunt into fifth spot, maybe fourth, and he could be just one fight away from a title shot. However, looking at fighters ahead of him, many are coming off losses, or have already beat him. Heck, that's the entire heavyweight division at this point, which is in serious flux. Hunt doesn't have time on his side, either. He's forty years old, and has one or two years left in the sport, realistically. Maybe, maybe he makes it to forty-three or forty-four, but the way he fights, that is not a give. So who should the UFC pair him up with next? What's the best path to UFC title glory for the most unlikely of contenders? Lets take a look at five fights the UFC could make for the victorious Mark Hunt.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
