Mark Hunt asked for it, he (eventually) got it, and now he's a big underdog. As expected, oddsmakers have made former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos a large favorite over Mark Hunt for their UFC 160 heavyweight bout. Here's a look at the line (via BestFightOdds):
Hunt (9-7) knocked out Stefan Struve in the co-main event of UFC on Fuel 8 earlier this month, breaking his jaw in the process. That was Hunt's fourth straight win, and he asked for a top-five opponent next. When Alistair Overeem was forced out of his bout with Dos Santos, Hunt immediately asked to step in. After a bunch of confusion, he was eventually granted the fight. Dos Santos (15-2) lost his title to Cain Velasquez in his last bout via unanimous decision.
I know there are a lot of people that are going to jump all over Hunt at this price, but I'd advise against it. Cigano just has too many weapons in his arsenal to lose this bout in my eyes. Even if he does decide to strike with Hunt, he's a lot better at using his length than a guy like Stefan Struve and I think he can take a decision rather soundly. He can also take the fight to the floor if he wants, as his wrestling (while underutilized in the octagon thus far) is quite good.
I know Hunt fans are going to flip out on me for this assessment, but I'm used to it by now. Gamblers, give this fight a pass.