UFC Fight Night 85: Frank Mir Versus Mark Hunt Preview

They’re calling this bout the battle of the “Dad Bods” because of how these two heavyweights look. But don’t let their looks deceive you, because Frank Mir and Mark Hunt are two Top-10 heavyweights in the UFC, ranked #9 and #10 respectively.

Frank Mir and Mark Hunt face each other at the main event of UFC Fight Night 85 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia on March 19th.

Looking To Extend Careers

Mir will be looking to get back on the winning track after a disappointing loss to Andrei Arlovski last September. He appeared to be on his way to recovering from four consecutive losses between 2012-2014 and had  won back to back fights against Antonio “Big Foot” Silva and Todd Duffee, both by knockout, before losing to Arlovski.

The New Zealand born Hunt challenged Fabricio Werdum for the UFC Heavyweight title in 2014 but was knocked out in the second round. Like Mir, Hunt is 2-2 in his last four bouts. After suffering a lopsided loss to top contender Stipe Miocic in May 2015, Hunt rebounded by showing his old devastating form in a first round KO  win over Antonio “Big Foot” Silva at UFC 193 last November  in Melbourne, Australia.

With the heavyweight picture starting to pick up, these aging veterans are looking to extend their careers with a win over the other. According to sports books, this match-up is as close as it gets.

Who Takes This?

The odds are pretty close in this contest. Hunt is a slight -175 favorite in most books while Mir is a +150 underdog. While Mir has all the natural advantages in height ( 6’3” to 5’10” ), reach ( 79” to 72” ) and age ( 36 vs 42 ), Hunt has the heavier hands between the two. Frank Mir’s striking defense is below average at 38% or 3.87 significant strikes absorbed per minute. Against a heavy hitter like Hunt, that’s too many punches to absorb, especially in a five round bout. On the other hand, Mir is one of the best submission experts in the Heavyweight division. His best chance of winning this contest would be submitting the Super Samoan on the ground. However, Hunt has excellent takedown defense at 68% and Mir only has a 48% takedown accuracy. Mir’s also an excellent striker but with a granite chin, Hunt will not likely get knocked out. Instead, experts are picking Hunt to knock out Frank Mir in the third round.