Hunt: I’ll knock his face off

Mark Hunt is full of typical bravado ahead of his fighting debut in Russia, declaring he’s out to ‘‘knock the face off’’ local star Aleskei Oleinik.

The two headline the UFC’s Moscow promotion on Sunday as Hunt’s contract with the organisation draws towards a close.

Hunt has slipped to No 8 on the UFC rankings with Oleinik at No 11. Oleinik has a noted ground game which Hunt plans to negate with his heavy hands.

‘‘I’m not going to try to take it to where his game is. Like I said, my game plan is simple and it’s always been simple. I train for everything, prepare for the worst. But my game plan is to just go knock his face off,’’ Hunt told

Submission Radio after arriving in Moscow.

‘‘How that works is just knowing what he’s trying to do. So he knows what I’m gonna do, you know, it’s just a matter if he can stop it.

‘‘A slip right hand with a left hook? Who knows? I think he likes to come forward a lot and we’ll catch him with something like that. We’ll try, well I’ll try.’’

Hunt said he didn’t hesitate to be involved in UFC’s debut in Russia when former champion Fabricio Werdum was removed after doping allegations saw him banned for two years.

‘‘I love competing, I love fighting . . . I mean, I love it that it’s opening a new market. The Russian fans and people can see me. And it’s gets me closer to finishing my contract which is good.’’

Hunt, 44, says if he can get a quick win over Oleinik at the Olympic Stadium, he’d like to finish with the UFC at their December gig in Adelaide.