Pride Fighting Championships veteran
Mark Hunt will make his promotional debut against unbeaten heavyweight prospect
Sean McCorkle at
UFC 119 “Mir vs. Nogueira 2” on Sept. 25 at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Seven fights are now official for the event, which will air live on pay-per-view.
Based in Sydney, Australia, Hunt has lost five consecutive fights dating back to May 2006. However, those defeats have come to former UFC heavyweight champion
Josh Barnett, Russian great
Fedor Emelianenko, one-time Strikeforce light heavyweight titleholder
Gegard Mousasi, current Strikeforce heavyweight kingpin
Alistair Overeem and Dutch knockout artist
Melvin Manhoef. The 36-year-old New Zealand native holds notable victories against Brazilian icon
Wanderlei Silva and 2006 Pride open weight grand prix winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. A seasoned kickboxer, Hunt won the 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix.
The 6-foot-7 McCorkle has secured eight of his nine career wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission. He last appeared in May, when he stopped
Johnathan Ivey on second-round punches under the Legends of Fighting banner in Indianapolis. McCorkle sports six first-round finishes on his resume, including 29-, 30- and 31-second victories.
Meanwhile,
Jeremy Stephens will lock horns with
Melvin Guillard in what promises to be a barnburner at 155 pounds.
Stephens will carry a two-fight winning streak into the match. The 24-year-old Des Moines, Iowa, native last appeared at UFC 113 in May, when he earned “Fight of the Night” honors in a split decision victory against
Sam Stout. Stephens has delivered 12 of his 17 career wins by knockout or technical knockout. Victories against
Diego Saraiva, American Top Team’s
Cole Miller and
Rafael dos Anjos dot his resume.
In the midst of a renaissance, Guillard has rattled off five wins in his last six appearances. Anchored at Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, N.M., the 27-year-old New Orleans native has not competed since he knocked out
Waylon Lowe with a knee to the body at UFC 114 two months ago. More than half (16) of Guillard’s 25 wins have come by KO or TKO. He owns notable victories against current Tachi Palace Fights lightweight champion
Gabe Ruediger and American Top Team’s
Gleison Tibau.
The event will also feature a heavyweight scrap pitting
Matt Mitrione against
Joey Beltran and a welterweight duel pairing
T.J. Grant with
Julio Paulino.
A rematch between world-ranked heavyweights
Frank Mir and
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will headline UFC 119, along with a pivotal light heavyweight showdown between unbeaten “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 winner
Ryan Bader and
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Frank Mir vs.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs.
Ryan Bader
Matt Serra vs.
Chris Lytle
Jeremy Stephens vs.
Melvin Guillard
Matt Mitrione vs.
Joey Beltran
Mark Hunt vs.
Sean McCorkle
T.J. Grant vs.
Julio Paulino
*
Evan Dunham vs.
Sean Sherk
*
C.B. Dollaway vs.
Joe Doerksen
*
Aaron Riley vs.
Pat Audinwood
*
Waylon Lowe vs.
Steve Lopez
* Not Official
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