UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt explains why he tweeted that he was 'unemployed'

By foxsports
Published

Don't worry, Mark Hunt fans. "The Super Samoan" isn't going anywhere. He just got a little ahead of myself.

Earlier this month, Hunt stunned his followers -- and UFC president Dana White -- when he tweeted that he was "unemployed." That was especially surprising considering Hunt is set to headline UFC Fight Night on Fight Pass in Japan against Roy Nelson on Sept. 20.

When White was asked, he said Hunt had not been cut. So what gives?

Well, Hunt was in negotiations with the UFC on a new contract and wasn't satisfied with how things were going. He was upset and hit the send button Aug. 5. Hunt said his wife reined him in.

"She reminded me I had responsibility as a father and an adult," Hunt told FOX Sports. "I want to be a productive member of society. I'm pretty glad she gave me a swift kick to the face and brought me back to reality."

A few days later, everything was sorted out. Hunt said he's happy with his new contract and he's excited about fighting Nelson in Japan, where he once starred for PRIDE.

"There's not much to talk about," Hunt said. "I still want to have a job. I don't want to be fired. I just want to move on with it. I wasn't feeling too good about it before."

Hunt (9-8-1) is one of the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster. He has won four fight-night bonuses in seven UFC bouts and is coming off a Fight of the Year candidate against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva last December in Australia. White has called that the best heavyweight bout in UFC history. All told, Hunt has only lost one of his last six fights. He's ranked No. 8 among heavyweight contenders.

Even though he's glad the situation is behind him, Hunt, 40, said he does not regret sending the tweet.

"I don’t regret anything," Hunt said. "I like social media, because it gives me a say. I can actually say something. It's from me, not from anyone else."

Hunt is hoping to earn a rematch with Junior dos Santos if he beats Nelson next month. He also knows another fight with Silva is probably on the docket, too, at some point. The ultimate goal for him remains to win the UFC title, though, so he knows he must defeat Nelson to stay on that path.

"I want to put his head into the frickin' rafters," Hunt said. "And I'm sure he wants to do the same to me."