New Mark Hunt Interview with Submission Radio
Topics Covered:
-On originally wanting to fight on the Sydney card (UFC FN 55)
-Initial reaction when he got the call
-Thoughts on fighting for the Interim Belt
-His current weight and if he thinks he'll make weight
-His weight cut against Roy Nelson and what happened
-Biggest obstacles in training and being in Mexico
-If his fitness from the Nelson fight will carry over
-Dealing with Werdum's ground game
-If Werdum poses any problems in the striking department
-Being excited to fight in Mexico
-His new clothing line
Some Quotes:
On if he was surprised to get the call to fill in for Cain in this fight
“Well it’s no surprise to me. Like I said before, I always felt like I was the best fighter on the planet and I think this is just another example of what I’m saying is right. This is for the number one spot to fight the champ. I mean I do feel Fabricio Werdum would be upset about it, and I would be upset about it too if I had my shot at the world champ and then had to step back to fight someone else. It’s my opportunity regardless, and hey man, I’m taking my opportunity and that’s it. That’s all I’m interested in doing.”
On biggest obstacles in training
“Well right now I’m just fighting with all the trolls on Facebook. The thing about this is I didn’t get much time for this to be honest. It’s like three weeks, two and a half weeks. So losing twenty and a half kilos in two and a half weeks is not an easy task. And also coming over to the other side of the world. 'Cause I’m living in Sydney, so when my family is going to sleep, I’m getting up. But it’s a totally different side of the world, and when you teach your brain how to do certain things, you teach yourself it’s time to get up, you teach yourself it’s time for breakfast, it’s time for training, you know all that sort of jazz and you have to teach these things to your wife, and then when you get to the other side of the world it’s the totally opposite. So you have to change that as well and not only have to deal with that, it’s the climate over here. It’s 3000 feet up in the air and it’s not sea level. So it’s a different level and it’s pretty polluted over here in Mexico city, so you know training outdoors is not a good thing. We were training outdoors the other day and my throat was getting sore and my nose was getting sore. So the harder I worked out, the more sore I got because of the pollution. So yeah I had to go indoors, back to the air conditioning. It’s something you gotta work towards. I had a couple of weeks in Denver we I fought a guys named Ben Rothwell. If I didn’t get those two weeks up there I would have lost the fight. So that was my first time at altitude, and Denver’s 5000 feet up. It’s not an easy feeling to fight at altitude because you never get your second wind. You need to spend like two months over there.”
"People who saw that fight, they thought these guys are unfit, but they don't realize that anything at altitude is just hard work. Unless you've been there a couple of months or so."
“Three weeks is not enough time, but I’m taking my opportunity with both hands and I’m gonna run with it. So we'll see how we go.”
On if his fitness from the Roy Nelson fight will carry over and if Mark’s worried about making weight
“Well I don’t know man. Fitness goes in about 24 hours if you don’t keep working at it, you know what I mean? But I’m feeling pretty good right now, you know I’m feeling really good. I’m right on target with weight. I’m looking forward to fighting.”
On being confident that he’s making weight
“Yeah of course. I’ve got no excuse about not making weight in three weeks. Even twenty and a half kilos. I gotta talk to Dana about a few things, but you know if you can’t make weight, don’t take the fight. We'll just chew an arm off. I've got a lot of weight on me (that) I can lose, so it doesn’t matter. I’m making weight so there’s no problem.”
On the issues Mark encountered in his weight cut for the Nelson fight
“That would've been my third weight cut ever. So I’m just starting to get used to how this all works, you know what I mean? Unlike the smaller guys that have to fight and make weight, now those guys hardly have a bit of fat on them. I’m a big guy with a lot of fat on me so it’s easy for me to lose it.”
“I’m getting used to these things. I know how far I’m at and what I can cut, so I think the media exaggerates a bit about certain things.”
On dealing with Werdum’s world class ground game
“Well everyone’s a world class ground fighter until they get a punch to the face. So that’s how I deal with all these ground fighters like everyone else. I hit 'em in the head and there goes your F**king black belt.”
On if Fabricio possess any dangers in the striking department
“Well I don’t know. I know his game will be to push the pace to try and get me tried, to try and shoot the take down so I’m on the ground, you know what I mean? It’s the same thing. If he tries to stand and bang, well then good for me. If he doesn’t, then he’s gotta work his game plan. So I feel I’ve got an advantage on all angles, so you know it’s nothing new to me.”
On if Mark’s excited about headlining UFC 180 in Mexico
“Well I’m excited to be getting the shot at the world champion if I win this fight. That’s all I’m excited about.”
Mark’s official prediction on how he will beat Werdum at UFC 180
“First round walk away knock out.”
Parting words
"Tune in folks to (UFC) Mexico city 180 in a couple weeks time, and I'll be singing that song like Craig David *proceeds to sing* III'm walking awaaay."
