In the depths of the worst losing streak of his career, Mark Hunt ironically got an opportunity from White and the UFC through a technicality.
A former K-1 champ, Hunt lost every fight he took in a four-year span from July 2006 to September 2010. In that stretch, Hunt lost six straight scraps, incredibly losing five by submission and another by KO.
But because of discrepancies in Zuffa's deal with Japan's Pride Fighting Championships organization, Hunt was offered the opportunity to snag a hefty paycheck without ever fighting in the UFC.
However, instead of taking the easy road, Hunt called White and said that he wanted to fight, a wish matchmaker Joe Silva made a reality when he paired "The Super Samoan" with Sean McCorkle at UFC 119.
But looking like the Hunt from his early days in Pride, The Super Samoan followed his loss to McCorkle with four straights wins, including three by brutal form of knockout.
For his efforts, Hunt pocketed "Knockout of the Night" bonuses for his wins over Chris Tuchscherer and Stefan Struve at UFC 127 and UFC on Fuel TV 8, respectively.
Once considered a one-trick pony with serious motivation issues, Hunt has seemingly made adjustments to his vulnerable ground game.
If he can outshine former champ Junior dos Santos at UFC 160, The Super Samoan will have truly come full circle as a martial artist, rising from the ashes and turning his career into a genuine Cinderella story.
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