WWE Star Brock Lesnar Faces the Prospect of Legal Action by Former Opponent Mark Hunt…
It feels like forever since Brock Lesnar took on Mark Hunt in a dramatic heavyweight return. The former champion’s name is almost synonymous with WWE these days, so it was a big deal when he made his MMA comeback at UFC 200 in 2016. Lesnar defeated Hunt by unanimous decision.
Hunt definitely hasn’t forgotten though. The 44-year-old was furious after Lesnar tested positive for banned substances in separate drug tests. Now the New Zealander has hit Lesnar with a lawsuit, as he attempts to seek justice. The fight has already been overturned to a No-Contest, but the ‘Super Samoan’ isn’t finished there.
Lesnar’s return at UFC 200 was a one-off special appearance to mark the second centenary of fights held by the organization. It’s really no surprise that he tested positive, considering he hadn’t competed for the UFC since 2012. The amount of money involved in the fight and the fact that the UFC was clearly on Lesnar’s side, has pushed Hunt to the edge.
Justice
In the words of Carly Rae Jepsen, “It’s not about the money, money, money.” Hunt is as straight a talker as any fighter in the UFC. He’s old school and he can take a loss if a fighter is actually better than him. When PEDs are involved, it all starts to get messy. Hunt said:
“You think this is about money? I’ve turned down two fights already. This is about what’s right. I wanted to put a provision in for the JDS fight, but they wouldn’t do it. These cheaters need to be punished. I would think that the commission would stand right by me. I don’t understand why they don’t do something about it.”
He’s got a point. The UFC is so desperate for big stars to come back, that they’re willing to sacrifice the integrity of the sport and risk a no-contest if it means they get to make a big pay-day. It’s counterproductive, but at the end of the day, money talks.
Legal Action
The Junior dos Santos negotiations appear to have been the final straw for Hunt. The Brazilian has just completed a USADA suspension for testing positive for multiple banned substances. Hunt has also faced Frank Mir and Antonio Silva in the past, both of whom were caught taking PEDs.
“This was the final straw. I’m not going to keep fighting dopers. Why should I?” Hunt said. “The contract doesn’t say I should be fighting dopers. If it does we should call it the Ultimate Fighting f***ing Cheating Competition.”
The sad truth is that even though the UFC is the most elite organization promoting MMA today, they have less morality than a desert has water. They really don’t care that much as long as they’re making money.
Reform
Hunt is demanding that changes be made to the ways in which the UFC deal with those who test positive for banned substances. His attorney Christina Denning has stated exactly what the New Zealand star wants. She said:
“Whether that’s just the purse or if there’s a win bonus or there’s pay-per-view proceeds, whatever compensation the cheating fighter receives, he wants a provision in all future bout agreements for him and he’d like to see it across the board that the compensation be forfeited to the non-cheating party.”
That’s really quite fair when it comes down to it. If anything it would be in the UFC’s favor to do so. Imagine if Hunt had beaten Lesnar? He could have been a bigger star and he’d definitely be a lot richer. It’s time to sort it out.
