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Mark Hunt ponders 'the end,' and one last title

Mark Hunt ponders 'the end,' and one last title

Few people appear more comfortable with fighting than UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt. The kickboxer looks as calm talking to reporters as he does entering the Octagon on fight night.

He fights with apparent fearless reckless abandon and past defeats have not made him gun-shy. He even turned down a fortune to sit at home and do nothing after the UFC purchased Pride, opting instead to fight for his money.

Given all that, it may be surprising to hear Hunt say that he never imagined that he'd be a fighter. "I feel blessed by God. This is what I'm supposed to be doing in life. I never wanted to be a fighter," Hunt said in a recent and excellent interview with Dave Meltzer.

"This is what God said I'm going to do, and I'm happy with that. The end is the same, if I win, lose or draw."

Hunt may have been feeling particularly philosophical after landing in Tokyo this past Tuesday for his UFC Fight Night headline bout against Roy Nelson on Saturday. Soon after landing, the city was rocked by an earth quake.

Hunt says he's been to Japan over eighty times in his career but an ominous welcome like that could rattle just about anyone. Hunt's view on death is a calm one, and it informs his attitude towards winning and losing in competition.

"We just landed and it was the earthquake, damn," he said.

"When God says it's time for one of us to go, we're done."

It would be a mistake to take Hunt's zen attitude for fatalism, however. Hunt simply recognizes that, despite all efforts, he may lose on fight nights and one day he'll die.

While he's here, however, the "Super Samoan" still has some big goals he wants to accomplish and is willing to work towards. Namely - a UFC world title.

"It's good for me to be doing what I'm doing at my age. I love doing what I'm doing. But when I'm finished, I'm not going to come back. I won't need the money. The only reason I'm still fighting is because I believe I'm still the best fighter in the world," Hunt explained.

"I want to beat Roy on Saturday night, and then I want to fight a top-five guy. Then I want to challenge for the title once, whoever that may be against. That's all I'm interested in. I want one chance for that title shot."

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