DANA White has given Sydney heavyweight Mark Hunt permission to stay in the UFC for as long as he wants, revealing: "Until the day that guy doesn't want to throw a punch anymore, he's with me".
Speaking with Round 6, White revealed he had initially planned to retire the 42-year-old slugger after his most recent contract expired in early 2016.
Yet instead of departing the company, Hunt has instead re-signed for a further six bouts while also being catapulted into the most hyped fight of his storied career - challenging American megastar Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 on July 9.
Asked if he expected the company's second oldest athlete to see out his new deal, UFC president White said: "Listen, until the day that guy doesn't want to throw a punch anymore, he's with me.
"I love Mark Hunt.