BRISBANE, Australia -The Brisbane Entertainment Centre came unglued Saturday night when all 9,552 spectators stood in a frenzy as Mark Hunt shocked the nation with a huge upset one punch knockout win over former two time UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir.
It was a very profitable night for the UFC as they took in $1.325 million in gate receipts, but the biggest winner was Hunt as he stopped Mir with a thunderous shot just three minutes into the fight. Hunt landed a right hand and as Mir crashed to the canvas and just walked away. So positive was Hunt that Mir was knocked out, he didn’t even bother following up with any shots on the ground as the referee quickly stepped in and stopped it. It was clear the “Super Samoan” knew it was over.
Where Mir goes from here is possibly retirement, or perhaps a stint in Bellator where a lot of over the hill former UFC fighters seem to show up these days, with a slight mixture of young talent such as Benson Henderson. As for Hunt, his record is nothing to write home about, but if he continues these first round knockouts, he will continue to get marquee fights. Perhaps even some on pay per view.
In the co-main event, welterweight Neil Magny earned the biggest win of his career with a shocking upset win over the heavily favored Hector Lombard. Magny became the first fighter to ever finish Hector Lombard.
Hector Lombard looked in control early and often as he dropped Magny in the first and second rounds but couldn’t put away the game opponent. Magny would rally late in the third round, taking Lombard down and finishing him off with punches on top until the ref had no choice but to stop it. It was a huge win that will jolt him up the rankings.
For more details on this fight card and also what is next for the world of MMA, reach out to Vince McKee on twitter at VinceTheAuthor