Frank Mir vs. Mark Hunt Headlines UFC Fight Night 84
A heavyweight clash between Frank Mir and Mark Hunt is slated to headline UFC Fight Night 84. UFC officials announced the bout on Thursday.
Considering the length of each man's career, it's somewhat surprising that it took this long to pair Mir and Hunt in the Octagon.
Mir (18-10), a former UFC heavyweight champion, has been fighting since 2001. Having hit a four-fight skid from 2012 to 2014, he rebounded with career-saving victories over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Todd Duffee.
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A recent loss to Andrei Arlovski, another resurgent heavyweight, put a halt to his momentum, so Mir will be looking to right the ship once again when he faces Hunt.
Having started his mixed martial arts career in 2004 following several years of kickboxing, Hunt (11-10-1) has also been through his share of ups and downs.
When the UFC purchased Pride, Hunt's contract was part of the acquisition, but the UFC officials didn't want him on the roster. Hunt, however, would not relent, insisting that he be allowed to fight out his contract.
After losing in his Octagon debut, Hunt then went on a remarkable four-fight winning streak and eventually fought for an interim version of the heavyweight championship, but lost to current champion Fabricio Werdum. He followed that with a loss to Stipe Miocic before rebounding in his most recent outing against Bigfoot Silva.
A victory over Mir would go a long way toward putting the 41-year-old anomaly back in title contention.
UFC Fight Night 84 is slated for March 20 local time at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. It is timed to air live on FOX Sports 1 on March 19 in the United States.
