Mark Hunt isn’t happy about the UFC’s decision to move its year-end pay-per-view show to Los Angeles on a week’s notice.
Mark Hunt believes the UFC relocated its final pay-per-view show of 2018 to promote “cheaters” and for money.
On Sunday, it was announced that UFC 232 had been moved to Los Angeles from Las Vegas due to an abnormal finding in a Jon Jones drug test. Jones tested positive for a trace amount of turinabol, the steroid metabolite he also tested positive for in August 2017 after his rematch with Daniel Cormier. Jones served a 15-month suspension for that positive test, which ended in October.
USADA, the UFC’s anti-doping partner, determined that the most recent positive test was a result of last year’s ingestion, and that Jones had not ingested the drug a second time. Therefore Jones did not violate the UFC’s anti-doping program and is still able to fight on Dec. 29. However, Nevada did not license him for the event, so the entire card was moved to The Forum in California, as the state commission there felt comfortable allowing Jones to compete this weekend.
Hunt, a veteran heavyweight whose UFC run likely came to an end earlier this month, has been very vocal about use of performance-enhancing drugs in MMA over the past few years, and isn’t happy about the UFC’s decision to move UFC 232 to Los Angeles.
“Hey everyone let’s move the whole Ufc show in a week for a cheater,” Hunt wrote on Instagram. “Promoting and condoning steroids isn’t ok @Ufc @jeffnovitzkyufc @danawhite and @jonnybones your a worthless cheating lil rat @alexthemauler don’t bother this loser isn’t on your level.
“This peice of shit company has always promoted cheaters and now they moving the show in one week from Vegas to California for money. they certainly have taken away my love for fighting fucken scummy theives I hope everyone sues the ass out of u fuckers fucken trash Oh and merry Christmas to all u fuckers dahahahahaha and a happy new fucken steroid year.”
Hunt has an ongoing lawsuit against the UFC, its president Dana White, and Brock Lesnar, whom Hunt lost to at UFC 200 in July 2016. (The result was overturned to a no contest after Lesnar failed a drug test.) Hunt claims the UFC knowingly allowed Lesnar to dope before landmark UFC 200 card, which marked the former heavyweight champion’s UFC and MMA return.
Several competing fighters have complained about learning about the UFC 232 switch-up on social media, and other fighters have said that they believe what the UFC did is not right. Jones apologized to fans and fighters affected by the change in an Instagram video, but maintained his innocence.
Jones meets Alexander Gustafsson for the UFC light heavyweight title in a highly-anticipated rematch in the UFC 232 headliner. The Cris Cyborg vs. Amanda Nunes superfight for the women’s featherweight title serves as the co-main event.