HUNT: New Zealand native Mark Hunt (Pictures) is a kickboxer with a 3-1 record in MMA. The former W.K.B.F. Australian champion began his K-1 career by winning the K-1 Oceania Grand Prix 2000 and a bout at the K-1 Oceania Revenge. He lost a decision to veteran Jerome Le Banner at the ’00 Grand Prix in Nagoya and won the K-1 Oceania 2001 Annihilis eight-man tournament.

Hunt had two major decision losses in kickboxing — Ernesto Hoost (Pictures) and Ray Sefo (Pictures) — but then he came back strong by beating Jerome Le Banner (with a right hook knockout), Stefan Leko (Pictures) (unanimous decision) and Francisco Filho (unanimous decision) to win the K-1 World Grand Prix 2001. He also carries kickboxing losses to Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) and Jerome Le Banner.

Hunt was originally supposed to face Don Frye (Pictures) in a kickboxing bout at the PRIDE Shockwave show in 2002 but was later replaced by the aforementioned Le Banner. In his MMA debut, Hunt showed real potential against Hidehiko Yoshida (Pictures) at PRIDE Critical Countdown ‘04. Once the pair went to the mat, Yoshida’s ground mastery took over. Five minutes into the bout Mark was in the grips of the judo Olympian and tapped out to an armbar. At PRIDE 28, Hunt battled Dan Bobish and stopped the 300-pounder with strikes late in the first round.

He competed at the PRIDE: Shockwave show on New Year’s Eve ’04. There he was a last-minute replacement for an injured Kazushi Sakuraba (Pictures) and took on reigning PFC middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva (Pictures). It was a striker’s feast with the combatants going toe-to-toe for much of the bout. Many feel the win should’ve gone to the smaller man (Silva), but Hunt took a split decision victory over the Brazilian superman.

One year later, at PRIDE: Shockwave ’05 on New Year’s Eve, Hunt faced Mirko Filipovic (Pictures). The two had met under kickboxing rules years ago but this time it would be MMA. Both fighters had something to prove and their performances confirmed it. The match went the distance and it was Hunt who took the split decision victory.

NISHIJIMA: Japanese boxer Yosuke Nishijima is fighting out of the Takada Dojo and has been training for MMA competition since June of ‘05. He has been working with former National Class judoka Tomoyoshi Iwamiya (Pictures).

Yosuke was headed to AMC Pankration with Dong Sik Yoon (Pictures) when he thought he might face Mauricio Rua (Pictures). But when he learned it would be Hunt, he felt it was best to head to Holland. There he worked with Alistair Overeem (Pictures)’s trainer Lucien Carbin and K-1 striker Remy Bonjasky.

Nishijima used a ring name of "Yousuke-zan Nishijima" while he was a professional boxer but his old master, Osamu Watanabe from Osamu Gym, said the name was too similar to his old boxing name. He was going to go with “Youkai-zan” or “Yukaizan” but has opted to keep his real name. This will be Nishijima’s MMA debut.

MY PICK: Hunt. I think Nishijima will keep it interesting for the first two minutes but once Hunt lands a leg kick or brings it to the mat, this one is over. Yosuke knows he has a tough opponent for his debut and he also likely knew it was the policy of the promotion to subject rookies to a trial by fire. Due to their size difference (possibly as much as 50 pounds), Nishijima can choose to say no to knees on the ground but he likely won’t. He has “a punches chance” to catch Hunt but don’t count on it. Hunt by KO in the first round.