Kiwi fighter Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva will go to war once again at UFC 193 in Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium for another potential fight of the year match-up.

The last time these two heavyweight sluggers met was in 2013, when both fighters went for a draw after five rounds of a blood bath bout. But after their remarkable match, both fighters found mixed results.

Hunt (10-10-1), a former K-1 Grand Prix champion, has scored a knockout victory over Roy Nelson, but the “Super Samoan” enters his second fight with Silva on the heels of two consecutive defeats against Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic.

But Hunt, who looks leaner than ever, is riding on his confidence despite the setbacks in the past year, adding that the match with Silva would probably end with a knockout.

“I’ve always felt that I’m the best fighter on the planet, it’s just the way it is,” Hunt told the UFC’s official website. “I think it’s gonna be a knockout, it’s gonna go one or two rounds maybe, we’ll see what happens.”

Hunt has been working hard with AKA Thailand throughout his 8-week preparation ahead of his bout with Silva (19-6-1). The 41-year-old admitted he is in the best shape of his fighting career after losing as much as 22 kilograms.

"I’m in the best shape of my life, I’m not injured," Hunt said, reports TVNZ. "I’m looking forward to this fight against Big Foot, it is going to be really good.”

Meanwhile, Silva’s downward spiral has been even worse ever since his draw with Hunt. He suffered two straight knockouts against Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir, recovered at UFC 190 over Soa Palelei.

Latest odds (courtesy of Odds Shark)
Mark Hunt -270
Antonio Silva +230

Fight prediction

Both fighters have been on the wrong end of tough losses, but Hunt looks to in great shape, which suggests he could have really gone through extensive training for this fight.

On the other hand, “Big Foot” looks far slower and less physically imposing, but it would be difficult for Hunt to strike down Silva the latter uses his full range.

Fight fans can certainly expect another slugfest between these two fighters, but with Hunt in a better shape than Silva, the Kiwi fighter is the favourite to win their rematch.

Winner – Mark Hunt, Round 3, Unanimous Decision

TV guide and match time

UFC 193 Mark Hunt vs Antonio Silva will start at 2:00 p.m. AEDT (Sunday, Nov. 15). The co-main event will be available on Foxtel and Optus Yes via Main Event for AU$49.95.

Replays will be at 6pm, 10pm, 2am, and every four hours from 6am on Nov. 16.

The undercard begins at 10:15 a.m. AEDT on UFC.com FightPass and continues on Fox Sports 1 at 12:15 p.m. AEDT.

Live streaming info

Watch UFC 193 Mark Hunt vs Antonio Silva on the official website of the Ultimate Fighting Championshp.

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