- Mark Hunt (red gloves) may not have the best record in MMA, but he does have world class kickboxing and will put on an amazing show against anyone who chooses to stand with him. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)
“The Answer” Frankie Edgar (14-1-1) is set to face “Smooth” Ben Henderson (14-2) this Saturday in the Saitama Super Arena for the main event of UFC 144. Rather than return to Japan with the standard five-fight main card, the UFC has elected to deliver a four-hour Pay-Per-View featuring seven feature bouts. “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (31-9) and “Darth” Ryan Bader (13-2) draw duties as the co-main event fighters. “Sexyama” Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5) faces Jake Shields (26-6-1) to anchor the card. Former WEC champ “Showtime” Anthony Pettis (14-2) will open the card against “J-Lau” Joe Lauzon (21-6) and bouts between “Thunder” Yushin Okami (26-6) and “The Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (14-4), and Hatsu Hioki (23-4-2) and “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (35-14) will round out the event. Supporting the two showcased bouts will be a heavyweight strikers duel between “Super Samoan” Mark Hunt (7-7) and Cheick Kongo (17-6-2). Each man has different motivations and goals for the match and brings a different flavor of K-1 level kickboxing to the table in what could very well wind up the front runner among the most entertaining bouts of the evening. Continue reading »
