Mark Hunt: The Fight of His Life

Mark Hunt changed the Mixed Martial Arts landscape forever.

– A sports commentator on Mark Hunt's place in his sport

My job is to go in there and hurt you. Why would I be afraid of anyone? I mean I'm a bit afraid of sharks. You know, everyone is scared of sharks.

– Mark Hunt on his job in the ring

In Japan he was as big as a Jonah Lomu in New Zealand, and he became a demi-god.

– American Fox Sport commentator on Auckland born MMA fighter Mark Hunt

The 41-year-old is standing on the worn Astroturf floor, a 135 kilogram human refrigerator with tribal tattoos and a thatch of peroxided hair. The gym is in an industrial unit on Sydney's south-western fringe, a brick-veneer world of Colourbond fences and sunbaked lawns. It smells of sweat and rubber. In the background, Creed, an American Christian rock band is pumping at full volume. Creed's mawkish power ballad — One Last Breath — might even be the anthem to Hunt's life.

– Excerpt from a profile on MMA fighter Mark Hunt, The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 September 2015

Mark has had to fight for everything he has in life. His upbringing and childhood were certainly “not fair”, and I think because of that he has an innate sense of what is right and wrong. Currently in the UFC if you don’t make weight (that is, you are over your weight class limit) you have to give your opponent a percentage of your fight fee. But if you drug cheat then your opponent gets nothing — and the cheat gets a small fine. Mark saw this as grossly unfair and he called it out.

– Director Peter Brook Bell on Mark Hunt's battle with his employer the UFC ( Ultimate Fighting Championship), Flicks, 14 October 2021

An underdog fighter overcomes his demons to succeed.

– Director Peter Brook Bell sums up the film, Flicks website, 14 October 2021

I knew nothing about MMA or kickboxing so it was all new to me. Firstly, I was surprised at how huge these sports are. The top K1 fighters are revered like gods in Japan. I was shocked at how lenient the UFC is on drug cheats, which is something we follow Mark campaigning against in the film.

– Director Peter Brook Bell on making a documentary about Mark Hunt, Flicks website, 14 October 2021

... scrapping on the streets was my way of dealing with the anger I felt towards my parents. Home was never a safe place for me. I felt safer on the streets

– Mark Hunt on his origins as a fighter, The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 September 2015