Hunt, 52, was in court on Wednesday facing one count of stalking or intimidation with intent to cause physical harm. The Sydney Morning Herald reported the news.

According to that same report, the female complainant was also allegedly sent a death threat via text.

Hunt was arrested on Tuesday at a home where he is accused of threatening a family member. According to police, while assisting the family member at the property in question, he became aggressive, acting in an “intimidating and berating manner,” causing “fear and distress” for the complainant, all in view of a witness.

Also according to police, Hunt had previously sent the woman a text that read “I’m just going to murder you in the end anyway.”

Hunt’s attorney disputed that the text had ever been sent by him, and according to the Herald, he is not facing any charges over it.

That said, it’s not a good look for Hunt, who has been battling the UFC over the fallout from UFC 200, where he was initially defeated by Brock Lesnar. After Lesnar tested positive for a banned substance, the result was overturned to a No Contest. Hunt, however, sued the promotion, alleging a conspiracy as Lesnar had the usual six-month drug testing window waived by the promotion and it’s then anti-doping partner, USADA.

Hunt’s allegation contended that Dana White and the UFC knowingly booked him against an opponent who was doping. The lawsuit was dismissed for what appeared to be the final time last year. More recently however, Hunt had been teasing yet more legal action.

In his heyday, Hunt was a fan-favorite heavyweight who competed for PRIDE and the UFC. He notoriously refused to be bought out of his contract when the UFC purchased their Japanese rival, and bounced back from a six-fight skid with four straight victories inside the octagon from 2011 to 2013. In 2014, he faced Fabricio Werdum for an interim heavyweight title.

Hunt parted ways with the UFC in 2018, shifting to boxing. He split a pair of fights in 2020 and 2022, with a win over Sonny Bill Williams closing out his career.

The post Mark Hunt Arrested, Charged with Stalking/Intimidation Amidst Death Threat Allegation appeared first on Cageside Press.

First reported by Courthouse News Service, The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that Hunt’s lawsuit against the promotion and fighter could not continue, upholding a ruling by a lower court — though interestingly enough, the appeals court cited separate logic from the original court for their finding.

Hunt, who represented himself through much of the legal process, appears to have failed to prove that he suffered any actual damages from the allegations, which center on his fight against Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 in 2016. Lesnar was rushed back into the USADA doping pool ahead of the event, coming out of retirement, and findings showing he had failed a drug test for clomiphene on June 28 were not returned until after the fight on July 9 of that year.

Lesnar also failed his in-competition drug test on July 9, 2016.

In their finding, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that “Unfortunately, Hunt does not point to any evidence in the record of any physical, emotional, economic, or reputational damage or harm attributable to Defendants-Appellees’ conduct.”

“Indeed, while maintaining that such evidence does in fact exist, Hunt acknowledged both in his reply brief and at argument that evidence of damages has not yet been ‘adequately presented.’ At the summary judgment stage, the nonmoving party must present evidence showing there is a genuine issue of material fact for trial.”

The UFC has not commented publicly on the ruling, but it may have put Mark Hunt’s legal battle to rest for good.

The post Appeals Court Upholds Decision Grounding Mark Hunt’s Lawsuit Against UFC appeared first on Cageside Press.

Hunt, who has been vocal about calling out Lesnar, Dana White, and even his own former lawyers over a litany of alleged misconducts, did not speak often, and clearly isn’t a lawyer. One argument in particular appeared to resonate with the court, however: the suggestion that Hunt was a victim of battery as he did not consent to competing against a “dirty” fighter.

To recap, Lesnar’s pre-fight drug test, administered by USADA (the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency), was not returned in time to cancel the fight. Lesnar had passed six previous tests in the month before the fight, but had the standard testing window for fighters returning from retirement waived by the UFC ahead of the event (while there was some confusion about this in court, USADA previously confirmed to Cageside Press that the UFC, and UFC alone, could choose to put such an exemption in place).

The fight went forward at UFC 200 on July 9, 2016; Lesnar’s failed tests (for clomiphene) eventually came back, and the bout was overturned. Hunt later sued, alleging fraud, conspiracy, and battery among other complaints, but had his arguments struck down between 2021 and 2023. That was revived when Hunt, ditching his lawyers, decided to act as a pro se litigant and represent himself in filing an appeal.

Wednesday’s hearing before United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Judges Richard Paez, Johnnie B. Rawlinson, and Harry Pregerson spent a whole lot of time on the consent matter, especially during an appearance by Attorney David Olsen, representing Lesnar.

“Doping is not within the normal scope of MMA activity, so he could not have consented to fighting someone who had banned substances in their system,” the court underscored. In fact, the court had previously decided that doping was not considered as part of the scope of normal MMA activity. “How could he consent to fighting someone with banned substances in their system?” Judge Rawlinson questioned, before answering herself.

“He did not consent to fight someone who had been using a banned substance.” Further, she would add that “the fact that he signed an agreement to fight in MMA does not incorporate consent to fight someone who was using a banned substance.”

Judge Paez suggested that, if a fighter cannot consent to compete against an opponent who is doping, “doesn’t that mean that Hunt’s battery claim should survive?” Paez added that he would need some time to review the matter, but made clear that he didn’t necessarily believe the fraud and battery issues were intertwined.

“If the consent indeed is that the opponent will have no banned substance in their body on the day of the fight, construing it narrowly, how can the consent be valid period?” questioned Pez.

All parties had limited time to address the court. Zuffa’s representatives fared better, explaining that the results of Lesnar’s failed drug test simply were not returned in time to call off the fight. They also pointed to Hunt’s claim that he’d fight anyone, regardless of what they were on drug-wise, in suggesting he had consented to the fight and accepted the risks associated. The court countered that, whether those statements were made publicly or in private, Hunt was simply portraying the sort of “bravado” usually found in professional fighters.

The appeals court did question just how Hunt was damaged from fighting Lesnar, both financially and physically. This is an angle Zuffa’s attorney Jon Colby Williams attacked, claiming the promotion had fulfilled his contract despite the loss. Hunt countered by saying he had been pulled from a fight in Sydney, Australia and was unable to move up the rankings as a result of the No Contest being a blemish of his record.

As noted by CombatSportsLaw’s Erik Magraken, Hunt’s argument about rankings is a good theory, but whether the court understood it in the limited time available is unclear. The bottom line is, had Lesnar not been using a banned substance, Hunt might have (though there’s no guarantee) won, and therefore climbed the heavyweight ladder, earning bigger fights, bigger paydays, maybe even a title fight. Since he lost (initially), that didn’t happen, and overturning the fight to a No Contest doesn’t change that ranking.

The court will make its ruling in the appeal at a later date.

The post Mark Hunt Appeal: Court Questions If Athletes Can Consent to Fight Dopers appeared first on Cageside Press.

That would be former UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt’s lawsuit against the promotion, which was initially launched in 2016, dismissed in 2021, revived on appeal, and dismissed again, with Hunt ordered to pay attorney’s fees and court costs to the UFC last year. A second ruling, reducing those fees and questioning why the UFC was demanding $20,000 more per expert witness than the law allows, was issued this part March.

Hunt, however, is nothing if not obstinate, refusing to let the case die. In April, he filed a motion to unseal all documents obtained through the discovery process in his RICO lawsuit against the promotion. His appeal of the case continues, before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Among the arguments present in the appeal, a claim that UFC CEO and President Dana White perjured himself in testimony given in 2022, when he stated that he had no knowledge of Brock Lesnar being granted an exemption from USADA testing ahead of UFC 200 in 2016.

USADA officials previously confirmed to Cageside Press that the UFC, and UFC alone, had the power to issue such exemptions.

Lesnar defeated Hunt by decision at the historic event, only for it to turn out that he had failed a drug test, administered prior to the card on July 9, 2016. Results were, according to those involved, not available until after the fact. Hunt cried foul, and despite continuing to fight several more times for the company, took legal action against them.

“I’ve still got an active lawsuit against them, it’s the same lawsuit I filed nearly a decade ago. It was thrown out the first time, well the only time it’s been thrown out, is because I had some crooked lawyers,” Hunt told Cageside Press in a new interview, barely more than a week after the UFC’s antitrust lawsuit settlement was struck down by a Nevada judge. “My first set of lawyers were crooked, they were paid off probably by Dana and his cohorts,” Hunt alleged. “That lady, Christina Denning, sabotaged my case, they had a summary judgement and threw the whole thing out because there was no evidence provided – because she wouldn’t provide any evidence. So she’s a criminal, and because of her malpractice it went nowhere.”

Denning represented Hunt through years of the legal process, including in the immediate aftermath of UFC 200, even negotiating with the UFC on behalf of Hunt after the fighter turned down a bout with Junior Dos Santos over unacceptable terms.

“Over a year ago I filed an appeal, it was approved in two days. I was made pro se as a litigant,” added Hunt. “It’s hard to explain a civil RICO lawsuit in 20 minutes or 30 minutes. What I can tell you is, where it sits now, we’re just waiting for the judge’s orders. If you’re familiar with RICO, they’ve got a lot of issues, Dana White, he’ll be going to jail with the rest of these criminals that were part of this RICO contravention.”

Of course, Hunt’s matter remains before the courts, and any punitive measures for White and the UFC remain to be seen, given the case is as yet unproven. Under RICO laws, anyone convicted of two acts of racketeering in a ten year period can be sentenced to up to twenty years in prison, and fined $25,000 while forced to forfeit any ill-gotten gains.

Hunt, who once stated that “I don’t care if you’re cheating or not. I’ll punch your face in” in the weeks prior to UFC 200, now recognizes that fighting performance enhancing drug users was likely hazardous to his health.

“As I’ve gone in my career, I fought against juicers that always ruined the fight. Whether it was a good fight, a win or a loss, it was always not good for my record. It wasn’t good for my health also,” Hunt admitted. And whether a given fight became a no contest, whether he won or lost, Hunt added that he “always said to those in charge, ‘can you do something about it?'”

“A couple of times before that Brock Lesnar incident, there was a fight, Alistair Overeem, a few other guys. I did say, ‘can you do something about it?'”

Even before the Overeem fight, Hunt noted, when he fought Frank Mir, “he popped. I said ‘can you do something about it, Dana?’ he said ‘no, it’s up to USADA.’ Bigfoot Silva, again, I said ‘can you do something about the fight, can you do something about this? I don’t give a sh*t about his money, just don’t give him any money. I don’t want to get any money.'”

According to Hunt, White again told him that action taken over fighters taking PEDs was up to USADA. “As I go on with my lawsuit and find discovery, USADA’s part of their pocket. They’re all in cahoots, the whole lot of them. The L.A. [California] commission, USADA, Jeff Novitzky, Dana White, all of them have been colluding against me. They’ve been colluding together for over a decade.”

Part of Hunt’s appeal, several pages of which dated from May which he previously posted online, alleges that Jeff Novitzky, Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance for the UFC, circulated an e-mail ahead of UFC 200 instructing UFC staff on how to handle the “optics” of Lesnar’s exemption from USADA testing in the months ahead of his fight with Hunt – the same exemption Dana White professed to be unaware of.

Hunt went on to note that no one from the promotion ever reached out to him over the number of cheating fighters he was forced to share the cage with, and takes umbrage with the lack of an apology. Beyond that, “if they’re not going to do something about it, I will. Despite the millions, millions of people laughing and mocking me and saying ‘you can’t do that, they’re a billion dollar company’ – I don’t give a sh*t if they’re a billion dollar company. When you’re doing the wrong thing, you’re doing the wrong thing. You’re billion dollar company could be ended in an instant with a RICO lawsuit.”

Mark Hunt would later suggest that the UFC’s split with USADA in 2023 came about in part because of his lawsuit, which has also focused on the anti-doping agency.

“The reason I stood up against the UFC was, they said to me, ‘we’ve got the best testing policies in the globe, in the world. We’ve got USADA, we’ve got a guy in Jeff Novitzky that caught Lance Armstrong. Okay, okay motherf*ckers, great. Cool. But as I found out through discovery [in the lawsuit], USADA was in their pocket. They were all colluding against me, the whole lot of them. I can’t f*cking believe it. It’s f*cking ridiculous, and this sh*t’s evident.”

“That’s one of the reasons why I feel USADA left, when they broke up with the UFC, is because they tried to push Conor McGregor through, and then that f*cking USADA idiot says ‘oh no we can’t do that again.’ Why? Is it because you’ve got a f*cking lawsuit against you, motherf*cker? That’s right, it’s because you’ve got a f*cking lawsuit that’s going to break your ass right here and now, and UFC wants to put through another guy and give them another exemption? That ain’t happening, man.”

The UFC and USADA partnership closed out at the end of 2023, with a very public spat emerging between the promotion and USADA CEO Travis Tygart. That dispute was in part over whether or not McGregor would qualify for an exemption from testing upon returning to action following the leg injury he sustained in his 2021 rubber match with Dustin Poirier.

UFC officials staunchly denied that any such exemption would be forthcoming. McGregor has yet to make his return, but the UFC’s relationship with the anti-doping body had already soured, leaving them to partner up with Drug Free Sport and the newly formed Combat Sports Anti-Doping – the latter a body funded by the promotion itself and led by former FBI agent George Piro.

The post Mark Hunt Gives Update on Lawsuit Against UFC appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ngannou says Jon Jones is “not that guy,” would fight him “twice a month”

Following his comeback at UFC 285, which saw “Bones” capture the vacant UFC heavyweight title, Jon Jones proclaimed former champ Francis Ngannou a “big ol’ p*ssy,” speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press.

Now Ngannou, the man who vacated the title that Jones now holds, has answered back.

“We know Jon Jones with his drama. I think that Jon is being dramatic,” Ngannou told ESPN recently. “He’s been out for how long? Three years and something? And I’ve been calling him [out]. I remember even after I fought Stipe [Miocic], Dana [White, UFC President] said if he watched that fight, he should move down to 185. But I don’t take that seriously. There is not a fight on Earth that I would back down from. I don’t care. I go there and whatever happens, happens. It’s the sport. And definitely Jon Jones is not that guy. He might be the best fighter ever, but he’s not the guy that I’m running away from. No, not him. I would fight Jon Jones twice a month.”

The entire “X fighter is scared” has become a tired narrative in combat sports, and is mainly an excuse used by promotions and fighters to explain why they couldn’t make a fight happen — which usually boils down to money or other contract demands.

Darren Till wants big money to face Mike Perry in BKFC

Darren Till requested and was granted his UFC release recently, and has now addressed the prospect of him facing “Platinum” Mike Perry in bare-knuckle boxing’s BKFC.

England’s Till, who challenged Tyron Woodley for the UFC welterweight title and later moved to middleweight, spoke to MMA Junkie this past week and expressed surprise at the sort of offers that were coming his way.

“The likes of boxing and BKFC and some of these are others (are options), if the money is right – and the offers I’ve been getting thrown at me have been a little bit crazy,” Till told MMA Junkie. “I didn’t know offers like that existed. I’m sure I could go in there and f*ck Mike Perry up, as we were meant to fight. Make a bit of money, get the body healthy, and whether the UFC like it or not, get back to the UFC. That’s still my main focus.”

It’s going to take big, big money to lure Till to BKFC, however.

“They’re going to approach me, but if they are going to approach me, don’t waste my time,” Till said. “Offer me something astronomical. Otherwise, nope. I don’t need it.”

Mark Hunt slams new UFC champ Jon Jones

Former UFC heavyweight contender Mark Hunt had plenty to say about the arrival of Jon Jones in his old division.

Mark Hunt is not a fan of Jonny Bones. #UFC #MMA #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/96nptSZVCR

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) March 8, 2023

“The UFC heavyweight champion of the world ladies and gentleman. There you have it, a cheating steroid rat who runs into pregnant women and runs off, a rat that hides under the octagon for 10 hours hiding from being tested for drugs. This is your UFC heavyweight champion, this is the rat you need to look up to. This is the rat we promote. Please be upstanding and raise your glass to a company that has zero credibility,” Hunt wrote on social media in the wake of Jones’ submission win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.

“Worthless belt worthless champion and even more worthless rip off company. Any other sport this loser wouldn’t be here that’s why UFC have no credibility, because they promote this garbage.”

Head Kick KO Alert

LFA 154 went down Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and frankly exceeded expectations by a country mile. On a night full of finishes, however, this head kick KO by Kauê Fernandes stole the show.

That's one for the highlight reel! Wild head kick KO by Kauê Fernandes at #LFA154 pic.twitter.com/jXdxLFhgT7

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) March 11, 2023

Painful Kick KO Alert

This is downright painful to watch. For those wondering why MVP was awarded a KO and not a technical knockout for his leg kick finish of Goiti Yamauchi at Bellator 292, it’s because the kick left the Brazilian unable to continue, with no referee intervention required.

MVP with just one kick. Wishing Goiti a speedy recovery. #Bellator292 pic.twitter.com/496NhZ9ksq

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) March 11, 2023

MMA is a cruel mistress.

The post Sunday MMA Quick Hits: Open Season on Jones As Ngannou, Hunt Blast Champ appeared first on Cageside Press.

Hunt, 46, was making his pro boxing return against Gallen, the younger fighter by more than half a decade at 39-years old. The pair had come to blows a day earlier at weigh-in, and skipped the final press conference to promote the event — which, with a main event of Tim Tszyu vs. Bowyn Morgan, had been billed as one of the largest PPV events in Australian history.

Gallen reportedly nearly derailed the bout just hours before it was planned to commence, losing his medical paperwork and spending a solid two hours in search of it, according to multiple reports. Luckily, the necessary papers were eventually located.

The fight itself saw Hunt cut Gallen in the opening round, then rock him in the second. Multiple left hooks hit home for “The Super Samoan” in the round, but Gallen would survive, and perhaps prove something by turning things around in the third, outworking Hunt. By round four, Hunt was breathing heavy, but still managed to catch Gallen with some big shots, primarily a right hand. Gallen was wobbled again in the fourth, but pushed on and managed to trap Hunt against the ropes in round five. And yet again, Hunt’s power was there, as he rocked Gallen with another right. In the end, the pair would go the distance in the six-round fight. Gallen took the worse of the big shots, but was the fresher fighter in the end, and the more active fighter in the later rounds. Which helped him win the fight on the scorecards.

The loss sends Hunt to 0-2-1 as a professional boxer, though Wednesday marked his first boxing match in over 20 years. Gallen, meanwhile, improves to 10-0-1.

Official Result: Paul Gallen def. Mark Hunt by unanimous decision (58-56, 58-56, 59-55)

The post Former UFC Heavyweight Mark Hunt Loses Boxing Match to Ex-Rugby Star appeared first on Cageside Press.

That has not been the case. Instead, he gets back to work this weekend in a boxing match with former Rugby player Paul Gallen. The pair fight Wednesday in Sydney, Australia.

Ahead of the fight, the trash talk has apparently been fierce — at least enough to get under 46-year old Hunt’s skin. Which might be why he lost his cool at Tuesday’s weigh-in, taking a swing at Gallen and resulting in a brief fracas with both men separated in the end.

Yo they’re just about to punch on at the weigh ins pic.twitter.com/j4taZmFxGH

— Brendan Bradford (@1bbradfo) December 15, 2020

Hunt (13-14-1, 1NC) was an unstoppable force at times in the UFC, one of the hardest hitting heavyweights in the business. Legendary for his walk-off KOs and durability, he ran up a four fight win streak from 2011 to 2013 to bounce back from a six-fight skid, refusing to be bought out of his contract in the process.

Later in 2013, Hunt would battle Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva to a majority draw in a fight many consider one of the best heavyweight bouts of all time. After knocking out the granite-chinned Roy Nelson in his next fight, Hunt went up against Fabricio Werdum for the UFC interim heavyweight title.

While he would fall short against Werdum, Hunt even fighting for a title in the UFC was something that was once unthinkable. Over the span of his career, Hunt holds wins over Wanderlei Silva, Mirko Cro-Cop, Ben Rothwell, Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson, Frank Mir, and Derrick Lewis.

The boxing match against Gallen will mark his first time competing in the sport in over 20 years, although Hunt was also a highly respected kickboxer.

Earlier this year, in an interview with MMA Fighting, Hunt said that his time with the UFC “took away my love for fighting,” which in part likely delayed his return to action. At least until this week. Hunt has also joined the anti-trust lawsuit against his former employer.

The post Mark Hunt Gets Into Altercation at Weigh-In Ahead of Boxing Match with Rugby Star appeared first on Cageside Press.

The results of Lesnar’s drug test were not returned until after the contest, originally a unanimous decision win for the WWE star, had taken place. The lawsuit has since been dismissed, but is under appeal.

Despite the legal action, Hunt remained with the company for five more fights. But his only win came against Derrick Lewis in 2017. After that, the losses began to pile up, and Hunt fought out his deal.

Ever since, fans have awaited his return. RIZIN or Bellator seemed like they might be likely destinations. But Hunt appeared to drop out of the limelight. However, a rumored boxing match with Rugby star Paul Gallen appears close to a done deal.

Gallen, who began boxing while still active in Rugby, told Australia’s 2GB Radio that he’s agreed to a fight with Hunt in October. That, after negotiations had previously stalled. A follow-up report by MMA Fighting confirmed the match-up, which is expected to take place at the end of October, either the 30th or 31st.

Prior to his MMA career, and at times alongside it, Hunt competed in kickboxing, finding considerable success. That includes becoming a K-1 World Grand Prix champion. Hunt also dabbled in boxing, going 0-1-1 through two bouts. The last came in Australia, twenty years ago.

Now 46, Hunt is looking at taking on the 38-year-old Gallen, who has compiled a boxing record of 9-0-1 since his first pro fight in 2014. Five of those nine wins have come via KO/TKO.

The post Mark Hunt’s Return Could Come in Boxing Match in October appeared first on Cageside Press.

The death of Mark Hunt’s lawsuit against the UFC (Zuffa) is not the end of his legal battle with them. Per a report by Paul Gift of Forbes Sports and Bloody Elbow, the promotion is looking to recoup its legal costs from him, to the tune of $388,235,22. Yikes.

That’s $301,792.50 for attorney’s fees, and $86,442.72 in associated costs, to be exact. A lot of photo copies and paper clips, perhaps.

In their motion, lawyers for the promotion wrote that Hunt “lobbed inflammatory and false allegations against Zuffa and [Dana] White including that they ‘affirmatively circumvented and obstructed fair competition for their own benefit,’ engaged in ‘a pattern of conduct wrongfully jeopardizing fighter health and safety for profit,’ and created ‘working conditions rising to contractual compulsion to repeatedly fight opponents who use illegal performance enhancing drugs, including amphetamines and anabolic steroids.'”

It goes on to claim that these accusations “were widely disseminated to the public by Hunt, his counsel, and the multiple media outlets covering professional mixed martial arts.”

Interestingly enough, the UFC’s move to recoup fees and costs references a “prevailing party fee provision” in the Promotional and Ancillary Rights Agreement between Hunt and the company. In other words, an existing clause in Hunt’s contract with the company means should legal action arise between them, the prevailing party (in this case UFC/Zuffa) is entitled to have their fees covered.

Attempting to recoup costs is far from unheard of in the legal realm. However, the move likely won’t sit well with MMA fans, many of whom sided with Hunt when he went after the promotion in the wake of UFC 200 in 2016. Hunt, a popular heavyweight with a long history of facing off against fighters later found to be doping cheats, sued the UFC, Brock Lesnar, and Dana White the following year. In the suit, he alleged the promotion had committed racketeering and fraud, in part due to Lesnar’s positive pre-fight doping test not being returned until after the fight had transpired. The lawsuit suggested the promotion had knowledge, or “willful indifference to the fact that Lesnar was using banned substances” prior to the event, but waved a four-month testing period for the fighter regardless.

An original decision win for Lesnar, the fight was eventually overturned to a No Contest when he tested positive for clomiphene, an anti-estrogen agent.

A Nevada court threw out the bulk of Hunt’s complaint earlier this year, and ruled against him on the final count just weeks ago. Throughout the bulk of the legal battle, Hunt remained under contract to the UFC. He fought the final fight of his deal against Justin Willis in December 2018. Hunt has not competed since.

The post UFC Pursuing Attorney’s Fees in Mark Hunt Case, to Tune of 388K appeared first on Cageside Press.

After years working its way through the legal system, Mark Hunt’s lawsuit against the UFC has come to an end. After the majority of the case was dismissed in February of this year, just a single count proceeded on. That count was a single charge of breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

Now, the United States District Court of Nevada has ruled in favor of the defendant, Zuffa LLC and against Hunt on the final count. Hunt himself posted the news on his official Instagram account, and included his own response to the outcome.

“I tried to make things even on the battlefield of Mma but again the cheating company [Dana White] [UFC] with all its billions they ripped everyone off win again someone will die against a steroid using cheater and your sh*t rip off company will be at fault,” wrote Hunt.

After adding a few more choice words for the company and referencing the Ali act, Hunt then added “I am not the first to sue this rip off company and sure as hell wont be the last to sue the [UFC] u can’t keep ripping fighters off and run monopoly on the market someone’s going to put u motherf*ckers down.”

Hunt last fought at UFC Fight Night 142 in December 2018, losing a decision against Justin Willis. It was the final fight on his UFC deal. ‘The Super Samoan’ had already launched his lawsuit against the UFC at that point, which stemmed from his UFC 200 fight against Brock Lesnar in 2016. Hunt took umbrage with the UFC and USADA allowing Lesnar to skirt USADA’s anti-doping rules ahead of the fight. Lesnar was later found to have tested positive for a banned substance (clomiphene), and his win over Hunt was overturned to a No Contest. However, the positive test, which occurred over a week before the landmark event, was not returned until after the fight.

Hunt has indicated he may continue on with his fighting career outside the UFC, but nothing on that front has been announced as of yet. Lesnar, meanwhile, served a year suspension from both USADA and the NSAC. He flirted with a return to the octagon before once again retiring and focusing on the WWE earlier this year.

The post Former UFC Heavyweight Mark Hunt Responds to Demise of Lawsuit Against Promotion appeared first on Cageside Press.