Mark Hunt is on a Crusade against Dana White
In early October, the UFC pulled Heavyweight Mark “Super Samoan” Hunt from his main event slot against Marcin Tybura at UFC Sydney. In an interview with ESPN, Hunt said that he found out not from UFC, but from a journalist,
“I had to check to see if it was true. I was really upset by that. I’ve lost a lot of money on this camp, and losing this fight will cost me over $1 million. I had plans for that money. I have taxes to pay. To hear it from a journalist – they could have called me themselves.”
Most fans found out via Hunt’s Instagram, where he railed against Dana White and the UFC.
UFC has since revealed that they pulled Hunt due to concerns over his health. Hunt recently did a piece in the Player’s Voice, where he discusses memory problems, other symptoms of brain damage, and his acceptance that he may die in the Octagon. Dana White mentioned that sometimes it is his job to protect fighters from themselves. But this sentiment rings a little false, as Hunt himself points out,
“There’s nothing in the results that says I can’t fight. . . The UFC says they’re acting for my well-being; why did they put me in the Octagon with all these cheaters, then? Why are they letting Georges St-Pierre fight again when he’s talked about seeing aliens? They just let a guy fight with a staph infection last week. If they’re worried about our well-being, why did they do all that?”
Mark Hunt actually has a good argument here. The UFC has received mountains of criticism for putting profit ahead of fighter safety. They did not penalize Brock Lesnar when he tested positive for a banned substance after he fought Hunt at UFC 200. They also allowed Kevin Lee to fight with a visible staph infection in the main event at UFC 216. So this claim that the UFC is acting out of concern for Hunt’s health rings hollow. More likely Dana White is looking to punish Hunt for speaking out and suing the UFC over the Brock Lesnar incident. Ironically, this action has triggered another lawsuit and a new wave of criticism from fans and media over the UFC’s draconian dealings.
What do you think of the argument? Is Mark Hunt being wronged here or does the UFC have a point?
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