Mark Hunt has launched a savage attack on the UFC for not caring about their fighters, and he references Jon Jones to make his point.
The New Zealand native has been on a crusade against the UFC ever since Brock Lesnar failed a drug test for their UFC 200 fight in 2016. Hunt lost the bout and filed a lawsuit that was eventually dismissed, but that didn’t end his legal battles against the promotion.
Now, the “Super Samoan” has taken issue with the UFC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple fight cards have been cancelled to stop the spread of the virus, but that hasn’t stopped UFC president, Dana White from pushing ahead and finding a venue to host UFC 249 on May 9. He also intends on holding multiple fights from a private “Fight Island.” Hunt scoffed at the UFC’s upcoming plans and fans who support them.
“All [fans are] doing is paying for them to get richer and richer, and all these fighters are getting screwed,” he said (via MMA Fighting). “So I don’t support them at all. I don’t care what they’re doing. … Promoting some fights on an island, who gives a f*ck? They allow these cheaters to get by, and it’s just business.
“[UFC fighters aren’t] even employees. They’re contractors. They share four percent of the revenue, so why would you support that? The fighters aren’t getting the benefits. I think it’s a joke.”
Hunt believes the UFC’s decision to march ahead despite coronavirus concerns proves that they don’t care about their fighters. He also believes that the organization has double standards for some opponents that use performance-enhancing drugs- putting their opponents in danger.
To prove his point, Hunt mentioned the time that the UFC changed its fight location from Las Vegas to California at UFC 232 on six days’ notice due to a drugs test abnormality from Jon Jones.
“Look why they’re there,” he said. “They let juiced-up cheaters fight against guys who don’t cheat, and they don’t give a sh*t if they die or not.
“Look how they treat the fighters. You think the UFC actually cares about the fighters or the people who watch? Look what they did with Jon Jones. They moved his show in one week from Las Vegas to California. They took all the fans that paid to go there to go f*ck themselves on Christmas. And all the fighters who fought on the card lost 10 percent of their purse? You think the UFC cares about people? They don’t give a shit. People need to actually see what they’re really doing.”
Do you agree with Mark Hunt’s criticisms of the UFC and Dana White? Let us know in the comments below.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 4/30/2020.