Less than a month after his most recent bout, Kiwi UFC star Mark Hunt is ready to go again.
The Herald can confirm Hunt has signed on for the final bout of his contract with the company and will take on American Justin Willis at UFC Fight Night in Adelaidein December.
The Australian-based Hunt was eager to get on the card to step into the UFC octagon one last time in front of a home crowd before moving on to the next phase of his career.
His ideal opponent? Anyone willing.
"I just asked (my manger) to tee up a fight so I could fight at home," Hunt told the Herald. "At the end of the day it wasn't my call."
Hunt, the UFC's No 10 ranked heavyweight, holds a 13-13-1 record with one no-contest and will be looking to leave the UFC with a winning record to his name. While there had been some traction in a possible bout between Hunt and light heavyweight Gohkan Saki, it will be Willis who steps in across the octagon from 44-year-old Kiwi.
It's a more ready-made match up, with Willis holding the 15th spot in the UFC's heavyweight rankings. Since making his debut with the company in July last year, the 31-year-old is yet to lose a bout.
Justin Willis will fight Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night Adelaide in December. Photo / Getty Images
Willis, who trains with two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier, holds a 7-1 record (3-0 UFC), and has shown plenty of power throughout his career with four wins by knockout. With Willis taking a strike first approach similar to Hunt's, the fight shapes up as a fan friendly encounter.
The bout will be Hunt's third for the year, and his second in Australia in 2018. In February he battled through three rounds against Curtis Blaydes to lose by unanimous decision.
"The last time didn't go that well," he said. "It's one of those things. I'm looking forward to the last fight at home."
With Hunt's bout confirmed, all but one confirmed bout on the Adelaide card will include an Australian or New Zealand fighter. Tickets for the event go on sale from 12:30pm (NZT) on October 12.
Confirmed bouts for UFC Fight Night Adelaide, December 2 Main event: Tai Tuivasa** v Junior dos Santos (heavyweight) Light heavyweight bout: Tyson Pedro** v Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua Heavyweight bout: Mark Hunt* v Justin Willis Flyweight bout: Kai Kara-France* v Ashkan Mokhtarian** Light heavyweight bout: Jim Crute** v Paul Craig Flyweight bout: Wilson Reis v Ben Nguyen
