Sherdog’s Top 10Sherdog’s Top 10: Overachievers
Number 8
8. Mark Hunt (10-9-1)
Unlike most of his compatriots on this list, Hunt does in fact possess outstanding athleticism, natural power and other physical tools, along with his 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix title in kickboxing. What makes him an overachiever is the fact that he did not embark on a career in MMA until he was 30 years of age, along with the ridiculous level of competition he has faced since his debut and the completely unforeseen late-career improvements that led him to an interim title bout in the UFC at the tender age of 40.
Hunt is an extreme outlier, and anybody who tells you they predicted four years ago his rise to the UFC 180 matchup with Fabricio Werdum -- in the aftermath of his embarrassing submission loss to the unheralded Sean McCorkle -- is a straight-up liar. At that point, Hunt was at the tail end of a six-fight losing streak against mostly elite competition, all of them by stoppage, and the only reason he was fighting in the UFC was because of a quirk in his Pride Fighting Championships contract that obligated the promotion to give him fights. He refused a buyout and insisted on fighting, and his subsequent run through the heavyweight division shocked everyone.
First came a walk-off knockout of Chris Tuchscherer, then a gasping-for-air, high-altitude decision victory over Ben Rothwell. Emphatic knockouts of Cheick Kongo and Stefan Struve put Hunt in a top contender matchup with former champion Junior dos Santos, and although he came up short in his big step up, nobody doubted that “The Super Samoan” was a legitimate threat. He did not win his short-notice interim title fight against Werdum, either, but the fact that Hunt was able to completely turn around his career in his late 30s, when most other fighters are completely shot, speaks to just what an overachiever he really is.
Number 7 » A native of Maine and former collegiate wrestler at Norwich University, he came out of nowhere to claim the WEC belt in 2008. Granted, the pre-merger WEC featherweight division was not on par with the UFC’s welterweight class, but it was a legitimate title and he was a legitimate champion.
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