Hunt isn’t retiring just yet, but it sounds like he’s leaving the UFC on a thoroughly sour note following the promotion’s latest antics surrounding UFC 232.
It seems Mark Hunt’s time with the UFC is almost certainly at a close. No longer under contract with the promotion, he’s currently fielding outside offers as he looks for his next MMA opportunity. An opportunity, he hopes, that will rekindle his love of fighting.
Speaking to MMA UK, Hunt told the outlet in a video interview that the end of his time with the world’s largest MMA promotion has soured him on the fight game altogether. Most notably the UFC’s treatment of star fighters Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar; continuing to give both men major opportunities despite their history of drug test failures.
“They’ve actually taken my love for fighting away because of how they promote steroids and cheaters, how they’ve done it all,” Hunt said (transcript via MMAFighting). “They’ve pushed me out of the way, to be honest and that’s what’s taken my love for fighting away. It’s kind of sad because they should be promoting the guy that’s not cheating whereas they are promoting the cheaters of this sport, which is wrong. I actually thought Jeff Novitzky was a nice person but he’s just a sellout. You’re a sellout, bro. That’s the bottom line.”
“Pure example, look at the situation with Jon Jones and [Alexander] Gustafsson,” Hunt continued. “Look at that situation. They move a whole freakin’ show for one cheating guy. All the fans miss out on all their airlines, all their flights, all that jazz. They miss out all because of this one idiot. . .
“The UFC has the best stringent testing in the whole freakin’ world but look what they’re doing. They give people four-month waivers so they can get past the tests, they’ve got these guys that say ‘The tests say has a picogram – a bit of steroids in him – but that’s from the last time we caught him.’ But he’s still got some sh*t in him. So does that mean he’s cheating? Yes, he is. Why are you even putting him to fight? The truth of the fact is, it didn’t matter whether he had a picogram now or if he had it 20 years ago, he’s still got some sh*t in him so he shouldn’t be fighting. It’s illegal. They’re promoting steroids, that’s what they’re doing.”
Hunt also revealed that a major part of his recent losing skid – and the especially poor form he showed against Justin Willis back in December – is down to the way he feels he’s been treated. “The moment I realized I was never gonna get the title shot,” Hunt explained, “that’s the time I started losing.”
As a result, he’s hoping that his next few fights – wherever he ends up landing – can help him see whether or not he’s truly done competing at the highest levels of MMA, or whether his problems are all down to his relationship with the UFC. Returning to elite form could be a tough task for the now 44-year-old, but perhaps greener pastures await outside the Octagon.