Mark Hunt to headline Brisbane’s first UFC event
Brisbane will host its first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event in December, headlined by Sydney-based heavyweight Mark Hunt and Brazilian Antonio Silva.
Hunt will take on top five-ranked mixed martial artist Silva in the five-round main event at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on December 7.
The Queensland capital is the third Australian city to host a UFC event, following last year’s visit to the Gold Coast and three stops in Sydney since 2010.
“Our long-term commitment is to bring our sport, our athletes and our brand to as many cities across Australia as possible,” said Tom Wright, UFC director of operations in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
The 39-year-old ‘Super Samoan’ Hunt (9-8), a former K1 world grand prix champion, has won four of his past five bouts.
His Brazilian opponent, nicknamed Bigfoot (18-5), most recently fought for the world heavyweight title in July but suffered a first-round technical knockout against UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.