UFC 180 Preview: Hunt and Werdum to battle in improbable title clash

It's 2014, and somehow Mark Hunt has a chance to be the UFC heavyweight champion.

The iron-chinned, dynamite-fisted New Zealander replaced champion Cain Velasquez against grappling-ace Fabricio Werdum in the main event of UFC 180 on Saturday night with the interim heavyweight title up for grabs.

Following a dismal post-PRIDE run and a loss to Sean McCorkle in his Octagon debut in 2010, Hunt is experiencing a career renaissance, including a crushing knockout victory over the supremely durable Roy Nelson at a Fight Night event in September.

Still, Werdum, the man who submitted the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, is one of the greatest heavyweight grapplers in the history of the sport - a problem Hunt hopes to solve with a pair of sledgehammers masquerading as fists.

"Everyone's a world-class ground fighter until they get a punch to the face," Hunt told Submission Radio as relayed by BloodyElbow's Nate Wilcox. "So that's how I deal with all these ground fighters like everyone else. I hit 'em in the head and there goes your f--king black belt."

Werdum's title march

Werdum's road to the title was a little more conventional.

The two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) Submission Wrestling World Championship gold medalist has been on an absolute tear since returning to the UFC in 2012, posting a 4-0 record while scoring wins over Roy Nelson, Mike Russow, Travis Browne and the worn-out husk of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. 

Despite his recent run, obvious advantages on the floor and evolving skills on the feet, Werdum isn't about to take Hunt lightly.

"He’s a heavy guy and has a great chin. I have to be careful. I can’t say he’s an easier opponent than Cain Velasquez," Werdum told MMAFighting's Guilherme Cruz. "There’s no easy fight in the UFC. Anyone can beat you. Everybody knows Mark Hunt’s punching power. I think my only advantage in this fight is that I’m training for a long time for it."

Saturday's clash, though not as notable as the originally-scheduled scrap between Velasquez and Werdum, should be a nice slice of ultraviolence between two of MMA's most interesting Heavyweights.  

UFC 180 Fight Card

Jake Ellenberger vs. Kelvin Gastelum

Ricardo Lamas vs. Dennis Bermudez

Augusto Montano vs. Chris Heatherly

Edgar Garcia vs. Hector Urbina

Alejandro Perez vs. Jose Quinonez

Jessica Eye vs. Leslie Smith

Henry Briones vs. Guido Cannetti

Marco Beltran vs. Marlon Vera

Gabriel Benitez vs. Humberto Brown