{"id":218792,"date":"2017-01-21T10:31:05","date_gmt":"2017-01-21T18:31:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/?p=218792"},"modified":"2017-01-21T10:31:38","modified_gmt":"2017-01-21T18:31:38","slug":"mark-hunt-didnt-know-brock-lesnar-using-peds-ufc-200","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/brock-lesnar\/mark-hunt-didnt-know-brock-lesnar-using-peds-ufc-200\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Hunt: I didn’t know Brock Lesnar was using PEDs before UFC 200"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leading up to UFC 200, where former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar made his highly anticipated return to the Octagon after 5 years away from the Octagon, there was quite a bit of controversy regarding Lesnar’s USADA exemption<\/a> that saw him evade the first several months of random USADA drug testing leading up to the fight.<\/p>\n

Despite that, Lesnar was tested multiple times between the time it was announced that he would be fighting, and fight night. Following his win over Mark Hunt, it was revealed that Lesnar had failed a pre-fight and a fight night drug test.<\/a> While he is currently serving a year-long suspension for the infraction, Mark Hunt has been very outspoken regarding the situation, even going as far as to file a civil suit against Lesnar and the UFC over the matter.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n

Now, as Hunt gears up for his UFC 209 rematch with Alistair Overeem on March 4th, Hunt has explained that while he assumed Lesnar was using PEDs ahead of their UFC 200 scrap, he couldn’t be positive.<\/p>\n

He spoke to MMAFighting<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing and assuming are two different things,\u201d Hunt said. \u201cI assume a lot of stuff. I mean, look at the guy. He comes from a pro-wrestling background. I didn\u2019t actually know these things. I\u2019ll always say, \u2018Well, he looks like he\u2019s cheating.\u2019 Of course I\u2019m gonna say it, because that\u2019s the way I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t actually go and test him myself,\u201d Hunt said. \u201cEveryone says, \u2018You knew.\u2019 I didn\u2019t actually know. Assuming someone is doping is different from knowing. That\u2019s the difference here. I didn’t know. I assume everybody is on an even playing field up at the top until they get caught.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While Hunt is certainly facing an uphill battle in his pursue of a civil suit with his employers, he believes he’s doing what’s right:<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course it\u2019s always a problem, but it\u2019s what\u2019s right,\u201d Hunt said. \u201cPeople say it\u2019s about money, well it\u2019s about grabbing a cheater\u2019s money. It\u2019s about taking the cheating out of the sport and making it even. It\u2019s about an even playing field for me, at the end of the day.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n