By Tim Summerville
Millions of people will be watching when Mark Hunt steps into the Octagon to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 on July 10, but just over a week out from the event, Hunt is flying under the radar.
When the pair jumped on a conference call with the world’s media this morning, Lesnar was well and truly the centre of attention, with Hunt asked only two questions. But that certainly won’t bother Hunt, who has always preferred to let his fists do the talking.
And it would appear that Lesnar is certainly taking the ''Super Samoan" seriously.
"Is he better than I am at stand-up? Of course he is," Lesnar said. "Is he a better wrestler than me? Hell no.
"He’s a heavy hitter. I’m prepared to not take one of those shots and to answer back and win this fight."
There’s been some controversy in the lead-up to the fight, with the UFC waiving some of its strict USADA-approved drug testing to allow Lesnar to compete. The WWE superstar is built like a tank, which naturally leads to some suspicions of artificial enhancement, but Lesnar was quick to shoot down the critics.
"I’ve been dealing with that my entire life, he said. "I’m a white boy and I’m jacked, deal with it."
Lesnar’s last stint in the UFC ended with a KO loss to Alistair Overeem back in 2011. At that time Brock was battling diverticulitis and claims he was at no-where near 100 percent. Lesnar claims his health problems are now in the past, so UFC 200 is all about showing what he’s really capable of.
"The last memories I have in the cage weren’t really fun,” he said. "It’s haunted me for a long time. I was worn out, I was tired, so now I’m just enjoying every moment.
"This is all about having fun. I’m not looking past this fight. I’m taking it one day at a time, one training session at a time.
"I’m grateful Mark Hunt took this fight. It was short notice for both of us."
After UFC 200, Lesnar is expected to head straight back to the WWE, where he is booked as an unstoppable force. A loss to Hunt could do some serious damage to Lesnar’s aura of invincibility in pro wrestling, but when asked whether this fight could have any effect on his WWE career, Lesnar didn’t beat around the bush.
I really don’t give a shit," was his response.
Mark Hunt’s been in Las Vegas preparing for the fight for a few weeks now and in his regular updates on Facebook and Instagram he looks in impressive shape.
"I feel great," Hunt said on this morning’s conference call. "I’ve been here a couple of weeks now and I’m looking forward to finishing training and going to work."
Hunt also said taking the huge fight on short notice doesn’t bother him.
"I’m always down to take a fight, especially against a guy like Brock.
"It’s great news for Mark Hunt and I look forward to dancing with big Brock on July 9."
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