Mark Hunt knocks out Antonio Silva in rematch; should ‘Bigfoot’ call it quits?

The first time Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva met Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night in Dec. 2013, it was one of the greatest fights in MMA history. And to the disappointment of fans inside the Brisbane Entertainment Center that night, the fight ended in a anticlimactic draw.

Their second fight inside Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium at UFC 193? Well, that didn’t need any scorecards.

Hunt leveled Silva at 3:41 of Round 1 with a sneaky power-right hand that landed directly to the side of the Brazilian’s head. Silva fell to the mat in a heap, and Hunt jumped in for some finishing shots.

“It was pretty satisfying,” said Hunt in his post-fight interview, showing his signature nonchalance.

When asked if he expected Silva to fall so easily, especially after their five-round war in 2013, Hunt instead replied by thanking his team in Thailand who helped him prepare for the rematch.

“I’m fit as a fiddle,” Hunt said. “I train really, really hard at AKA Thailand. I have super guys that I train with. I really appreciate all the help I got from that camp.”

The fight started off slowly, as both heavyweights showed visible respect for one another. Silva backed away, looking to counter. And Hunt pressured, looking for that one big power shot.

Once respect fell to the wayside, Hunt quickly capitalized and finished off the fight with no mercy.

This loss can’t come as that big of a surprise for “Bigfoot” fans. Prior to Saturday, Silva had lost three of his last five fights by TKO/KO. There were rumblings of a deteriorating chin and some even questioned if he should have accepted the rematch with Hunt in the first place.

Now, with his fourth loss via TKO/KO in six fights, the future remains clouded for the 36-year-old veteran. He could continue, but the question at this point remains: Why?

If there isn’t a championship on the horizon, it’s hard justifying taking all these high-impact fights against such high-caliber opponents.

With this win, Hunt’s career record moves above .500 at 11-10. He also was heading into Saturday’s fight with a 1-3-1 record in his last five outings. And all three of those losses came by KO/TKO.

So, someone was inevitably going to be asking themselves some very tough questions after the fight.

It’s not exactly the savory cherry on top of Hunt’s career sundae, but it keeps the 41-year-old fan favorite in the mix for at least another year. And for fans of MMA, knockouts, and “The Super Samoan” Mark Hunt, that’s a good thing.