UFC Fight Night 85 In Brisbane is around the corner and all eyes are on the Mark Hunt Vs. Frank Mir clash. The headliner on March 20 (March 19 in USA due to difference in time zone) is sure to be a tough one with plenty of betting going on. What we have is a classic striker take on a grappler, which makes it all the more interesting.
Samoan Mark Hunt (11-10-1) comes in as a favorite due to his reputation as a fighter and cool all-round personality. His background in kickboxing brings with it some great striking skills and KO power while Hunt is also known to be able to take a lot of punishment. Fans who have watched him are well aware that he waits for the right moment to strike a lethal blow. Yet, Hunt is a fighter who can keep you guessing since he could lose six in a row and them come back to win four.
Hunt’s last four fights are what bettors ought to look at. He won against Roy Nelson and was then defeated back to back by Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic. However, he came back strongly at UFC 193 where he defeated Antonio Silva in the first round via TKO.
Frank Mir (18-10-0) is infamous for the Mir Lock, his shoulder lock from the guard. He has over 15 years experience in pro MMA matches and is the only fighter to win a toe hold fight in UFC. Mir has also won fights through a wide range of strikes and submissions. He had a series of wins in 2015 that put him in title contention for the third time. Last February he defeated Antonio Silva and then knocked out Todd Duffee in the first round in July. He lost a close fight to Andrei Arlovski in September 2015.
Both Hunt, 41, and Mir, 36, are at the bottom of the top-10 heavyweight rankings and defeinitly catching up on age. In this fight we should see Hunt with an advantage in the standup game. He has won 70 fights overall in kickboxing, boxing and MMA and comes in with loads of experience against different types of fighters. This could possibly work to his advantage where we may see a KO in his favor in UFC 85 in Brisbane on March 19, 2016.
Frank Mir also has the experience but isn’t as crisp in his standup game as compared to Hunt. His advantage is on the ground where we may see him dragging Hunt to the ground at least once to keep him guessing. If this pans out well then Mir could have the edge.
Hunt has a 68% takedown record in the UFC while Mir stands at 47.5% takedowns. Currently, Bet365 has Frank Mir at 6/4 and Mark Hunt at 4/7. William Hill also has Mir at 6/4 and Mark Hunt at 8/15.
Author : Rory McGregor
