The Huna (photo) is expected to headline the first UFC in New Zealand. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
The UFC's international expansion continues in 2014. After arriving in Singapore and announcing events in Turkey and Mexico later this year, the largest MMA organization on the planet is expected to hold its first event in New Zealand in June. The information was released on the website of the newspaper “The New Zealand Herald”.
The event, on June 28th in the city of Auckland, should be Fight Night and have, as its main fight, a clash between local James Te Huna and Nate Marquardt, valid in the middleweight category.
Te Huna, 32 years old, will have his first fight in the under-84 kg weight class, as, until then, the 1,87 m tall fighter worked in the light heavyweight category (up to 93 kg). In his last fight, in Australia, he was knocked out by Mauritius Shogun right at the beginning of the first round. In the UFC, he has a record of five wins and three losses (to Shogun, Glover Teixeira e Alexander Gustafson).
The fight will also represent a weight change for Marquardt. Until then, the American had been working in the welterweight category (up to 77 kg), having even won the now-defunct Strikeforce title. However, his three losses in his last three fights saw him return to the middleweight division. Marquardt competed in the 84 kg division in his first stint in the UFC, between 2005 and 2011. In 2007, he competed for the category belt against Anderson Silva, but lost by technical knockout.
So far, this is the only fight agreed for the event, although Dylan Andrews, TUF semifinalist, should be confirmed soon. Biggest name in MMA in the country, Mark Hunt should be left out, as he hopes to be fully recovered from a hand injury from August onwards.
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