Look up cult hero in the mixed martial arts dictionary, and it will
not be long before you run into
Mark Hunt.
“The Super Samoan” celebrates his 50th birthday on March 23.
Hunt compiled a 13-14-1 record with one no contest across his
29-fight career in
Pride Fighting Championships,
Dream and
the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, his run in the sport defined by
a remarkable strength of schedule. The 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix
winner made his debut against Olympic gold medalist
Hidehiko
Yoshida in June 2004—he submitted to an armbar from the
Japanese judoka—and went on to face
Alistair
Overeem (twice),
Wanderlei
Silva,
Mirko
Filipovic,
Josh Barnett,
Fedor
Emelianenko,
Gegard
Mousasi,
Junior dos
Santos,
Fabricio
Werdum,
Stipe
Miocic,
Frank Mir,
Brock
Lesnar,
Derrick
Lewis and
Curtis
Blaydes. His epic five-round war with
Antonio
Silva at UFC Fight Night 33, which resulted in a majority draw,
remains one of the greatest heavyweight fights in UFC history, as
the two behemoths combined to land 200 significant strikes against
one another. Hunt closed out his career on a three-fight losing
streak and made his final appearance at UFC Fight Night 142, where
he wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against
Justin
Willis on Dec. 1, 2018.
Others in MMA celebrating a birthday during the month of March:
MARCH 1
Taisuke
Okuno, 47
Danielle
West, 47
Anthony
Njokuani, 44
Dominique
Robinson, 42
John
Howard, 41
Jasmine
Jasudavicius, 35
Wuliji Buren, 34
Zabit
Magomedsharipov, 33
Thanh
Vu, 32
Nassourdine
Imavov, 29
Aspen
Ladd, 29
Sage
Northcutt, 28
MARCH 2
Soichi
Nishida, 57
Kito
Andrews, 46
Heath
Herring, 46
Ray
Rodriguez, 37
William Hoffmann, 35
Lorenzo
Hood, 35
Jeff
Roman, 35
Tainara
Lisboa, 33
Hunter
Azure, 32
Joel
Alvarez, 31
Brandon
Laroco, 29
Carli
Judice, 25
MARCH 3
Rodrigo
Goiana de Lima, 1991-2019
Mark Hall,
63
Herschel
Walker, 62
Bob
Schrijber, 59
Kevin
Burns, 44
Nick
Gonzalez, 43
Rob
Broughton, 41
Augusto
Mendes, 41
Nate
Mohr, 41
Renato
Velame, 41
Richard
White, 37
Gabriel
Souza, 27
MARCH 4
Jordan
Radev, 48
Abe
Wagner, 44
Nick
Nolte, 43
Josh
Emmett, 39
Rodrigo
Almeida, 38
Roque
Martinez, 38
Talita
Bernardo, 37
Kazuki
Tokudome, 37
Corey
Samuels, 31
Ago
Huskic, 30
Jimmy
Crute, 28
Malik
Lewis, 28
MARCH 5
Tim
Sylvia, 50
Chris
Cope, 41
Ed
Ratcliff, 41
Roberto
Sanchez, 38
Brandon
Hempleman, 37
Ericka
Almeida, 35
Martin
Nguyen, 35
Cody
Peterson, 35
Rafael
Fiziev, 31
Marnic
Mann, 31
Julia
Polastri, 26
Kyu Jun
Cho, 19
MARCH 6
Anthony
Johnson, 1984-2022
Royce
Alger, 59
Tsuyoshi
Kosaka, 54
David
Perron, 43
Brandon
Girtz, 39
Diara
Culpepper, 37
Ben
Egli, 36
Romero
Cotton, 34
Mads
Burnell, 30
Harrison
Layne, 29
Brian
Mitchell, 28
Nick
Talavera, 28
MARCH 7
Jared
Hamman, 42
Eun Soo
Lee, 42
Xavier
Foupa-Pokam, 42
Steve
Kennedy, 41
Joe
Merritt, 40
Toby
Misech, 36
Valentina
Shevchenko, 36
Journey
Newson, 35
Nikita
Krylov, 32
Daniel
Marcos, 31
Bruno
Souza, 28
Zhu
Rong, 24
MARCH 8
Marlon
Sandro, 47
Wes
Shivers, 47
Genki
Sudo, 46
Ryan
Ford, 42
Viscardi
Andrade, 40
Josh
San Diego, 39
Eddie
Ng, 38
Seo Hee
Ham, 37
Edwin
De Los Santos, 30
Takuya
Yamamoto, 30
Jared
Scoggins, 29
Tom
Nolan, 24
MARCH 9
Pat
Miletich, 56
Jerrel
Venetiaan, 53
Chinzo
Machida, 47
Gilberto
Galvao, 42
Dean
Amasinger, 40
Jun
Nakamura, 40
Koji
Ando, 39
Matunga
Djikasa, 38
Drakkar
Klose, 36
Karine
Gevorgyan, 35
Raphael
Pessoa, 35
Francis
Marshall, 25
MARCH 10
Ben
Spijkers, 63
Melton
Bowen, 55
Sean
Pierson, 48
Wilson
Gouveia, 46
Vitor
Miranda, 45
Jesse
Lennox, 42
Anton
Zafir, 37
Kenan
Song, 34
Lipeng
Zhang, 34
Clay
Collard, 31
Lee
Hammond, 28
Brahyan
Zurcher, 28
MARCH 11
Renzo
Gracie, 57
Debi
Purcell, 55
Rodrigo
Gracie, 49
Luis
Sergio Melo
Jr., 43
Sako
Chivitchyan, 40
Chris
Saunders, 38
Matt
Ricehouse, 37
Magomed
Mutaev, 35
Jordan
Howard, 34
Livinha
Souza, 33
Jaleel
Willis, 32
Jack
Jenkins, 31
MARCH 12
Chris
Sanford, 56
Antonio
McKee, 54
Alexis
Vila, 53
Justin
Wilcox, 45
Colleen
Schneider, 42
Zach
Freeman, 40
Ricky
Musgrave, 40
Issei
Tamura, 40
Rad
Martinez, 37
Herbeth
Reis de Sousa, 30
Akhmed
Magomedov, 29
Daniel
Santos, 29
MARCH 13
Masakatsu
Funaki, 55
Kazuo
Takahashi, 55
George
Sullivan, 43
Lina
Lansberg, 42
Justin
Salas, 42
Nam
Phan, 41
Tim
Johnson, 39
Will
Fleury, 35
Oleksii
Polishchuk, 28
Jesus
Santos Aguilar, 28
Austin
Wilson, 26
Turpal-Ali
Edilov, 24
MARCH 14
Josh
Samman, 1988-2016
Steven
Banks, 43
Manny
Tapia, 43
Kiyotaka
Shimizu, 40
Simeon
Thoresen, 40
Jim
Wallhead, 40
Robbie
Peralta, 38
Guan
Wang, 38
Danny
Chavez, 37
Oumar
Kane, 32
Lando
Vannata, 32
Anton
Vinnikov, 30
MARCH 15
Norifumi
Yamamoto, 1977-2018
Travis
Wiuff, 46
Kyoko
Takabayashi, 43
Juliana
Lima, 42
Roberto
Neves, 41
Zhifa
Shang, 38
Sasha
Palatnikov, 35
Danni
McCormack, 34
Junior
Albini, 33
Eduardo
Ramon, 33
Cheyden
Leialoha, 30
Tamerlan
Chagaev, 27
MARCH 16
Shawn
Tompkins, 1974-2011
Brad
Imes, 47
Josh
Pulsifer, 41
Jared
Cannonier, 40
Vanessa
Porto, 40
Montserrat
Rendon, 35
Antonio
Carlos Jr., 34
Aaron
Roberson, 34
Marc
Diakiese, 31
Jair
Farias, 31
Tai
Tuivasa, 31
Eduardo Jose Neves, 24
MARCH 17
Antoine
Hayes, 48
Kit Cope,
47
Fabio
Maldonado, 44
Bae
Yong Kwon, 43
Chan
Sung Jung, 37
Jozette
Cotton, 36
Jose
Flores, 36
Jairzinho
Rozenstruik, 36
Jamie
Moyle, 35
Magnus
Kelly Conrado, 29
Claressa
Shields, 29
Nikita
Kulshin, 24
MARCH 18
Nate
Quarry, 52
Marcos da
Matta, 51
Holly
Lawson, 46
Kyle
Noke, 44
Julie
Kedzie, 43
Luiz
Firmino, 42
Brendan
Schaub, 41
Mike
Ricci, 38
Gregor
Gillespie, 37
Cody
Bollinger, 33
Tyler
Diamond, 33
Ange
Loosa, 30
MARCH 19
Ronnie
Britt, 59
Kain
Royer, 44
Maia
Kahaunaele, 42
Shawn
Bunch, 41
Ryuichi
Miki, 41
Magomedbag
Agaev, 39
Jake
Norsworthy, 34
Shane
Burgos, 33
Yuto
Hokamura, 31
Charlie
Milner, 31
Sam
Slater, 30
Elisandra Ferreira de Oliveira, 26
MARCH 20
Jimmy
Ambriz, 47
Daniel
Cormier, 45
Rogent
Lloret, 45
Robbie
Lawler, 42
John
Moraga, 40
Goran
Reljic, 40
Rafael
Silva, 39
Jingliang
Li, 36
Tiffany
Van Soest, 35
Casey
Kenney, 33
Aya
Saied Saber, 33
Joe
Hamilton, 32
MARCH 21
Joe
Heiland, 42
Rony
Mariano Bezerra, 40
John
Salter, 39
Brice
Ritani-Coe, 38
Andrew
Yates, 35
Austin
Vanderford, 34
Vince
Murdock, 33
Oleg
Olenichev, 32
Alex
Perez, 32
Saginay
Shukir, 29
Fares
Ziam, 27
Adam Aliev,
24
MARCH 22
Andre
Pederneiras, 57
Houston
Alexander, 52
Jamal
Patterson, 50
Kyle
Kingsbury, 42
Mauro
Cerilli, 41
Mike
Jackson, 39
Harvey
Park, 38
Joe
Soto, 37
Handesson
Ferreira, 36
Minna
Grusander, 35
Lazar
Stojadinovic, 35
Liana
Jojua, 29
MARCH 23
Moti
Horenstein, 60
Mark
Hunt, 50
Gregory
Bouchelaghem, 46
Leo
Leite, 46
Eddie
Yagin, 45
Mukai
Maromo, 41
Rae
Yoon Ok, 33
Yuri
Villefort, 33
Lito
Adiwang, 31
Billy
Swanson, 30
Thiago
Moises, 29
Rinya
Nakamura, 29
MARCH 24
Nik
Fekete, 44
Jake
Hager, 42
Brandon
Melendez, 41
Josh
Neer, 41
Andy
Main, 35
Lom-Ali
Eskiev, 32
Mackenzie
Dern, 31
Marcus
Paulo Amaral, 31
Fabian
Edwards, 31
Zachary
Reese, 30
Cody
Law, 29
Mike
Kimbel, 27
MARCH 25
Tom
English, 49
Mike
Medrano, 46
Rory
Markham, 42
Besam
Yousef, 39
Chris
Culley, 38
Johnny
Campbell, 37
Ben
Wall, 35
Gabriel
Miranda, 34
Steven
Ray, 34
Manuel
Torres, 28
Leomana
Martinez, 28
Sabina
Mazo, 27
MARCH 26
Tony
Fryklund, 53
Nick
Penner, 44
Bor
Bratovz, 42
Artur
Sowinski, 37
Irene
Aldana, 36
Calvin
Kattar, 36
Myron
Dennis, 35
Bobby
Nash, 34
Alex
Gilpin, 32
Kai Kara France, 31
Paige
VanZant, 30
Kaik
Brito, 27
MARCH 27
Sergio
Soares, 47
Nick
Serra, 46
Nuri
Shakir, 45
Tat Romero, 44
Noah
Thomas, 43
Matt
Jaggers, 39
Alptekin
Ozkilic, 38
Renee
Forte, 37
Vanessa
Melo, 36
Liana
Ferreira Pirosin, 31
Ismael
Bandiwan, 29
Ilhom
Nazimov, 29
MARCH 28
Hector
Ramirez, 48
Joe
Pearson, 46
Joe
Taylor, 40
Jake
Ellenberger, 39
Joe
Ellenberger, 39
Jessy
Miele, 39
Matt
Rizzo, 38
Micheal
Gillmore, 37
Otto
Rodrigues, 36
Jose
Augusto Azevedo Barros, 32
Natalie
Salcedo, 32
Eduardo
Garvon, 28
MARCH 29
Marcus
Kowal, 47
Leandro
Silva, 45
Donald
Cerrone, 41
Stephen
Eakin, 41
Anthony
Morrison, 40
Chase
Beebe, 39
Jesse
Chaffin, 35
Cody
Durden, 33
Jesse
Hannam, 31
Colbey
Northcutt, 31
Cristina
Stanciu, 30
Abigail
Montes, 24
MARCH 30
Gerard
Gordeau, 69
Bibiano
Fernandes, 44
Bojan
Mihajlovic, 44
Melvin
Guillard, 41
Rasul
Mirzaev, 38
Dan
Lauzon, 36
Denise
Kielholtz, 35
Jamey-Lyn
Horth, 34
Johnny
Walker, 32
Miles
Johns, 30
Kalinn
Williams, 30
Thomas
Petersen, 29
MARCH 31
Naoya
Ogawa, 56
Reese
Andy, 51
Rich
Clementi, 48
James
Zikic, 47
Mike
Kyle, 44
Marloes
Coenen, 43
Ayaka
Hamasaki, 42
Richardson
Moreira, 40
Frank
Gomez, 38
Terrion
Ware, 38
Charalampos
Grigoriou, 32
Yanal
Ashmoz, 29