Mark Hunt fought Brock Lesnar in the octagon at UFC 200, and now he will fight him in court.
ESPN broke the news that Hunt filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday against Lesnar, UFC and UFC president Dana White. The lawsuit, according to ESPN, alleges the defendants “affirmatively circumvented and obstructed fair competition for their own benefit.” Hunt reportedly is seeking damages “in the millions” as a result of Lesnar’s two failed drug tests prior to their UFC 200 bout.
“I want the UFC to understand it’s not OK to keep doing what they’re doing,” Hunt told ESPN. “They’re allowing guys to do this. They had a chance to take all the money from this guy, because he’s (Lesnar) a cheater, and they didn’t.
“What message is that sending to the boys and girls who want to be a fighter someday? The message is, ‘You just have to cheat like this and it’s OK.’ In society, if you commit a crime, you pay. Why is it different in MMA? It’s hurt the business, so it’s even worse. They need to be held accountable for this.”
Within the lawsuit, Hunt stated that the UFC’s handling of the situation jeopardized his safety all for the sake of personal profit, according to MMAFighting.com.
Hunt is expected to return to the octagon to face Alistair Overeem on March 4 at UFC 209.
Thumbnail photo via Matt Roberts/USA TODAY Sports Images
