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Despite parting ways with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) over a year ago, Mark Hunt isn’t done bashing Dana White and Co. Indeed, after “Super Samoan” left the promotion in late 2018, he started a crusade against it soon thereafter, bashing the company for its handling of “cheaters,” among other things.
So it should come to nobody’s surprise that the bruising Heavyweight is not impressed with UFC and White’s efforts to stage fights during the COVID-19 pandemic, who have gone as far as obtaining a private island to stage fights.
“All [fans are] doing is paying for them to get richer and richer, and all these fighters are getting screwed,” Hunt told 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,” he added.
While White has been adamant that the promotion is taking all the proper safety measures needed to provide a safe environment for all fighters and staff ahead of their return on May 9 for UFC 249, Hunt says it’s all about the company’s bottom line.
“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,” he added. “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.”
Hunt is currently involved in trying to get another lawsuit going against promotion after his previous one was mostly dismissed. Per the report, Hunt recently joined the ongoing antitrust litigation against UFC which includes several former combatants who once competed for the organization.
In a separate interview, “Super Samoan” revealed that he intends to keep fighting in order to raise more cash to continue his lawsuits against UFC, and even considered a journey into professional boxing. Hunt was last seen competing at UFC Fight Night 142, losing to Justin Willis via decision.