Mark Hunt believes that a victory over Antônio “Pezão” Silva this weekend, at UFC Fight Night 33, will put him closer to a future title shot in the heavyweight division.
Before his last fight, the PRIDE and K1 veteran was well regarded in the category, but the knockout he suffered against Junior Gypsy got in the way of his intentions. In an interview with Australian Fox Sports, the New Zealander stated that a good performance in his next fight will boost his chances.
“I want to have a chance to compete for the title, but whether a victory will bring me that I don't know, it's not up to me to decide”, he said. “If I want to have any relevance in this category I have to beat Pezão. Every fight I prepare as if it were my last fight, so it’s very important to stay at a high level.”
For Hunt, even if Pezão also comes from a defeat (for Cain Velazquez, at UFC 160, in May), the Brazilian's good record is a good opportunity for redemption. “Beating Pezão, securing a position [in the ranking] above him and going to the next fight – that’s why victory is the most important thing for me”, he analyzed. “He’s fourth and I’m not even in the top ten, so it’s a good opportunity. And I have to take advantage of that.”
The fight between Hunt and Pezão will be the main attraction of the event, which will be in Brisbane, Australia, in the early hours of Friday to Saturday in Brazil. In addition to the heavyweight encounter, the fight between James Te Huna and the former light heavyweight champion, Mauritius Shogun.
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