Mark Hunt declines fight with Junior Dos Santos at UFC 206
Mark Hunt was offered a fight against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 206, but turned it down due to the UFC still not providing him compensation for the Brock Lesnar incident, says his attorney.
Mark Hunt isn’t happy with the UFC. That’s not news. But recent events have highlighted the extent of his unhappiness. Hunt’s attorney Christina Denning made an appearance on the ‘Luke Thomas Show‘, and spoke about the current situation.
Hunt lost a non-controversial decision to Brock Lesnar at UFC 200. However, controversy arrived following the fight when it was discovered Brock Lesnar had failed a USADA drug test. “The Super Samoan” felt aggrieved, to put it mildly. Hunt has since went on a vendetta against the UFC, including a now infamous rant which demanded half of Brock Lesnar’s purse.
Denning met with UFC representatives on behalf of Hunt, with certain demands in mind. “Moving forward he wants to have bout agreements that provide compensation” (if an opponent tests positive for PED’s). She added that Hunt believes this would add a further “deterrent” to fighters thinking about drug use.
This is a fair argument. If a fighter misses weight by a pound or two, then 10 percent of their purse is awarded to the opponent — ungenerous, but it is something. Yet, a “clean” fighter receives nothing if they face someone who tests positive for PED’s. Instead, the fines go to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Does this make sense?
The Nevada State Athletic Commission are not the ones putting their health and lives on the line.
Nonetheless, the meeting didn’t go well. The UFC offered Mark Hunt a rematch against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 206. Hunt rejected the offer due to the UFC not meeting his required terms. Turning down such a huge fight with possible title implications shows the depth of his frustration.
Still, Denning made it clear that Hunt wants to resolve the matter without any legal action against the UFC. “We are coming out and talking about it because we want to resolve it and he wants to fight. He just wants fair fights.” The New Zealander’s attorney also acknowledged that such a process could take years. And aged 42, Hunt doesn’t have years to spare.
The UFC’s anti-doping policy has had success, but there’s a financial issue with regards to punishment fairness. A clause in contracts which stipulates that if you test positive you have to give a large chunk of your purse to your opponent could prove a powerful deterrent. Money speaks louder than sense.
Some humans will take any feasible shortcut. We must accept that. But regardless, nobody loses more at the hands (literally) of PED users than the fighters themselves. Yet somehow the only compensation they receive is an excuse, and a loss exchanged for a “no contest”.
Mark Hunt is fighting a just cause. He might not of went about it the right way, but underneath the copious swear words and anger, he’s kind of making sense. Sadly, the worry for the aging warrior is that his last battle could be one outside of the cage.
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