UFC: Mark Hunt exchanges compliments with opponent in bizarre radio interview

Mark Hunt. Photo / Getty

Most UFC fans would be all too familiar with the build up to a fight night or main event.

Often it will involve a heated exchange between the two rivals pitted against each other to do battle in the main fight of the evening, with both claiming they will end the bout in this round or that, through one vicious way or another. In short, the two fighters are most commonly less than friendly with each other.

If you have heard of a man called Conor McGregor, you will understand the type of brutality some of these exchanges oft entail.

But it seems chivalry is not dead in the sport of mixed martial arts.

Appearing on Nova's Fitzy and Wippa breakfast show on Friday morning, rival heavyweights Mark Hunt and Frank Mir engaged in a different kind of exchange.

The pair were in Sydney to promote their UFC Fight Night bout scheduled for March 20 in Brisbane.

When Nova host Michael Wipfli initially complimented the pair for being so civil despite the fact they would be fighting in a matter of weeks, Hunt was quick to talk of the respect shared between the two fighters.

"Do you know what I find strange, is that you two are going to fight each other, and you sit so close to each other now as gentlemen having a conversation," Wippa said.

"I suppose that's a credit to the sport too, in terms of you guys and the professionalism behind it. But don't you find it a bit confronting that you are sitting here right now a metre away, when down the track and not too far away, you'll go as hard as you can to kill the other bloke."

"I don't find it strange at all. I have a lot of respect for Frank, and what he has done with his work, and there is no need to show anything else but respect until we fight," Hunt replied.

Fitzy then asked the duo to participate in a "counselling session" in what was labelled a "compliment off."

That's where things got a little weird.

MIR: "Mark, you have a very sexy accent."
HUNT: "Oh wow that's great, thank you."
HUNT: "Frank, you know I already called you a model before, you are such a good looking bloke."
MIR: "Thank you. Actually I am very jealous of the beard and complexion you have. That olive skin colour, is really just like a bronze statue of just an alpha male."
HUNT: "I think you've got the perfect set of teeth there."
MIR: "Well we want to keep that the same way after the fight. Remember that when you are throwing punches my way."
HUNT: "That was a compliment, man."
MIR: "Mark, you actually have a very adorable laugh."
HUNT: "But those eyes though are so amazing, you look right into my soul with those eyes."
MIR: "The masculinity of your bone structure is very, actually almost intimidating to my own masculinity. The strong shoulders, your big build, it's just very much alpha."
HUNT: "Your grammar and vocabulary is just amazing."

The compliments were met with roaring laughter from the Nova hosts, with Fitzy claiming the "amazing" exchange was leading him to tears.

No doubt there won't be any tears come March 20, but knowing the way these two heavyweights trade blows in the octagon, their meeting will be far from civil.

-news.com.au