Tag: brock lesnar drug test

One Former UFC Champ Supports Mark Hunt’s Attempt To Unionize Fighters

Since former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar failed both in and out-of competition drug tests in conjunction with his UFC 200 win over Mark Hunt for an estrogen blocker, “The Super Samoan” has been not surprisingly making a ton of noise about the sticky situation. The fan favorite knockout artist first called out for half

The post One Former UFC Champ Supports Mark Hunt’s Attempt To Unionize Fighters appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Since former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar failed both in and out-of competition drug tests in conjunction with his UFC 200 win over Mark Hunt for an estrogen blocker, “The Super Samoan” has been not surprisingly making a ton of noise about the sticky situation.

The fan favorite knockout artist first called out for half of Lesnar’s $2.5 million purse, then all of it, declared he would attempt to organize a fighter’s union (an increasingly discussed avenue in today’s MMA universe), and finally, topped it all off with a profanity-laced outburst to Ariel Helwani on this week’s edition of The MMA Hour.

News came that the UFC had apparently contacted Hunt and had a ‘positive’ conversation, but it’s tough to think the hatchet was completely buried. And although it’s a more than difficult prospect to organize a fighter’s union in MMA, one prominent figure is willing to support “The Super Samoan” all the way.

Currently fighting in Bellator, former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson told MMA Fighting that he is all for Hunt’s efforts, as it’s something that should have been implemented a long time ago:

“I 100 percent support Mark Hunt, everything he’s doing and talking about. I think it’s a long time coming, it should have been here a long time ago.”

BensonDanaPissed

“Smooth” was at the center of negotiations with the UFC when his contract ran out, and he found he was more valued by Bellator. It was big news when Henderson left the UFC, because he’d been one of their most consistent fighters, often willing to fight anyone on short notice to save an event.

With fighter pay and treatment currently at the forefront of MMA discussion, Henderson also cited his support the current antitrust lawsuit being levied at the UFC by former fighters:

“There are a lot of other guys, Cung Le, Jon Fitch, there have been guys who have talked about it for a long time,” Henderson said. “I show my support and solidarity with those guys. As a mixed martial artist, I definitely support them.”

And while it’s been mostly all talk up to this point, Representative Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma – a former MMA fighter himself – has proposed a bill to Congress to introduce the Muhammad Ali Act to MMA as a segway to fair treatment for MMA competitors everywhere. Henderson sees this as a necessary transition for MMA fighters to get what they’re worth, and believes they should have been more intelligent before only now fighting for their rights:

“Boxers are used to it. They know they are supposed to get this and supposed to get that, and what it’s supposed to be like and how it is supposed to be conducted. Us, as mixed martial artists, we’re finally getting like, ‘oh yeah, we should make this much money.’ NFL, they had a lockout so that they could get 51 percent of the total gross revenue. Us fighters, we get, like, seven percent, maybe seven percent of gross revenues. So, us as athletes, we’re not that smart and it took us awhile to get our act together.”

The post One Former UFC Champ Supports Mark Hunt’s Attempt To Unionize Fighters appeared first on LowKick MMA.

UFC Reportedly Has ‘Positive’ Conversation With Mark Hunt

Heavyweight fan favorite Mark Hunt drew the attention of the entire MMA universe yesterday (Mon., July 25, 2016) when he went off on the UFC in a profanity-laced tirade about Brock Lesnar’s in and out-of competition drug test failures before and after UFC 200. Dragging his employer’s name through the mud to The MMA Hour

The post UFC Reportedly Has ‘Positive’ Conversation With Mark Hunt appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Heavyweight fan favorite Mark Hunt drew the attention of the entire MMA universe yesterday (Mon., July 25, 2016) when he went off on the UFC in a profanity-laced tirade about Brock Lesnar’s in and out-of competition drug test failures before and after UFC 200.

Dragging his employer’s name through the mud to The MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani, Hunt discussed a myriad of topics like organizing a fighter union, wanting half (and then all) of Lesnar’s record purse, and his considering legal action for the UFC’s willingness to have him fight an opponent who was on performance-enhancing drugs.

It’s easy to understand why “The Super Samoan” was upset, as steroids and PEDs have arguably been the hottest topic in the sport since USADA was enlisted to clean up fighting in 2015. There are obviously legitimate concerns for fighter safety and health with so many fighters now being proved to be on one substance or another, and the the fact that special circumstances were implemented to get Lesnar into the Octagon on short notice after Conor McGregor was pushed off of UFC 200 only make it worse.

Some felt Hunt would be fired for his outburst, but ESPN.com has reported that quite the opposite is the case:

“A UFC official told ESPN.com that Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky had “a lengthy conversation with Hunt” on Monday and that dialogue was “positive.”

According to the official, the conversation was to “address Hunt’s concerns with Lesnar’s potential anti-doping violation, as well as the results management process related to the case.”

In response to Hunt’s concerns regarding the time frame in which the UFC knew of Lesnar’s potential violation, the official adamantly denied any knowledge prior to July 9.”

That’s a bit of a vague description of the conversation and what exact issues were addressed, so even though the UFC denied any and all knowledge of Lesnar’s pending failure form the June 28 test beforehand, that isn’t going to change the fact that USADA needs to find out and inform the UFC of any pertinent results before an event takes place, not after the fact when a fighter was put in danger, pay-per-views were sold, and it just doesn’t matter.

Hunt did not respond to questions surrounding the reported talk with Novitzky, and it’s a difficult scenario to imagine that “The Super Samoan” – who’s fought three opponents found to have been on PEDs in recent years – has cooled down from his epic outburst of only yesterday.

Is there anything the promotion can do to make it right with their popular Australian slugger, or do they simply not care as Hunt suggests?

The post UFC Reportedly Has ‘Positive’ Conversation With Mark Hunt appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Mark Hunt Reacts To “Steroid Using Monkeys Talking S***”

With the MMA community still trying to put together the pieces of Brock Lesnar’s shocking potential USADA violation in the weeks leading up to his eventual UFC 200 win over Mark Hunt, ‘The Super Samoan’ has apparently had enough. After issuing a demand asking for half of ‘The Beast’s’ payday or his immediate release, Hunt

The post Mark Hunt Reacts To “Steroid Using Monkeys Talking S***” appeared first on LowKick MMA.

With the MMA community still trying to put together the pieces of Brock Lesnar’s shocking potential USADA violation in the weeks leading up to his eventual UFC 200 win over Mark Hunt, ‘The Super Samoan’ has apparently had enough.

After issuing a demand asking for half of ‘The Beast’s’ payday or his immediate release, Hunt has predictably been the brunt of a rash of online trash talkers who have presumably come to the defense of Lesnar, calling him innocent until proven guilty. While that’s true under the USADA guidelines, “The Super Samoan” had quite the seething response for those who badmouthed him on the web:

Ouch. It sounds like Hunt isn’t happy, even after a full night to cool down from his demand for half of Lesnar’s pay. It’s hard to blame him, as he fought and was battered by a hulking 265-pound monster, who, if it becomes proven he was on steroids, was chemically enhanced, the exact type of situation the UFC has been trying to get rid of since implementing the new and increased drug testing in conjunction with USADA.

As former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta said when they announced that partnership, “It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

Indeed it has. But has it been worth it, and will it truly get better anytime soon?

The post Mark Hunt Reacts To “Steroid Using Monkeys Talking S***” appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Mark Hunt Wants Half Of Brock Lesnar’s UFC 200 Pay – Or He’s Done

Many in the MMA world were hardly surprised when news broke this evening that Brock Lesnar had been notified by USADA of a potential anti-doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition drug test on June 28, 2016, but only one person had to face – and lose to – him at UFC 200. That athlete was

The post Mark Hunt Wants Half Of Brock Lesnar’s UFC 200 Pay – Or He’s Done appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Many in the MMA world were hardly surprised when news broke this evening that Brock Lesnar had been notified by USADA of a potential anti-doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition drug test on June 28, 2016, but only one person had to face – and lose to – him at UFC 200.

That athlete was Mark Hunt, and he absorbed a smothering beating over the course of three full rounds in the co-main event of July 9’s scandal-ridden event. After fighting multiple heavyweights who later tested positive for PEDs and saying Lesnar was “juiced to the gills,” ‘The Super Samoan’ told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani that he wants half of Lesnar’s $2.5 million purse, or he’ll choose to ask the UFC for his immediate release:

“The cheaters get a slap on the wrist and walk off. What penalty or deterrent is there to make them think twice? Nothing. And the [Nevada Athletic Commission], why should these [expletive] get anything? They are not the ones who had to fight with Lesnar or lose [to him]. I lost.”

From the perspective of a Top 10 heavyweight who was blanketed and battered by a hulking beast who was potentially on steroids, it’s understandable as to why Hunt feels the way he does.

UFC 200 was thrown into disarray only three days before showtime when former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was flagged by USADA for another potential violation, this time reportedly for two yet-to-be disclosed drugs. Although he was replaced by Anderson Silva on short notice, the so-called “biggest, baddest card of all-time” was downgraded in the eyes of many, and Lesnar’s potential failure will only further mar what was already a botched spectacle in the first place, regardless of reasoning or fault.

Lesnar and his team will likely request to have his B-sample tested, or with his victory over Hunt a supposed “one-off” from his WWE contract, he may choose to go back to pro-wrestling with a few more millions in the bank; that is, if Hunt doesn’t somehow get his hands on a part of that payday as he’s looking to.

Regardless, the whole scene is just one more bad look for the UFC, Lesnar, and Dana White, who spoke up to say Lesnar had been tested five times and was clean. Of course, he’s innocent until given full process through USADA’s extensive bylines.

With the WWE supposedly enforcing a more stringent Wellness Policy of their own, what’s truly going to be interesting is how Vince McMahon reacts to Lesnar’s potential violations – especially if they’re proven to be valid.

The post Mark Hunt Wants Half Of Brock Lesnar’s UFC 200 Pay – Or He’s Done appeared first on LowKick MMA.

UFC Releases Official Statement On Brock Lesnar’s Potential USADA Violation

Earlier this evening (July 15, 2016), it was announced that the UFC had been notified by USADA of a potential anti-doping violation regarding Brock Lesnar stemming from a sample collected on June 28, 2016 prior to Lesnar’s co-main event victory over Mark Hunt at July 9’s UFC 200 from Las Vegas, Nevada. The news is

The post UFC Releases Official Statement On Brock Lesnar’s Potential USADA Violation appeared first on LowKick MMA.

Earlier this evening (July 15, 2016), it was announced that the UFC had been notified by USADA of a potential anti-doping violation regarding Brock Lesnar stemming from a sample collected on June 28, 2016 prior to Lesnar’s co-main event victory over Mark Hunt at July 9’s UFC 200 from Las Vegas, Nevada.

The news is still quite fresh with few details being released, but the UFC has released an official statement regarding the manner. Check it out below via UFC.com:

“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Brock Lesnar of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on June 28, 2016. USADA received the testing results from the June 28, 2016 sample collection from the WADA-accredited UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory on the evening of July 14, 2016.

“USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed. The Nevada State Athletic Commission also retains jurisdiction over this matter as the sample collection was performed in close proximity to Lesnar’s bout at UFC 200 in Las Vegas.

“Consistent with all previous potential anti-doping violations, additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.”

What do you make of this breaking news regarding the former UFC heavyweight champion?

The post UFC Releases Official Statement On Brock Lesnar’s Potential USADA Violation appeared first on LowKick MMA.

BREAKING: Brock Lesnar Flagged By USADA For Potential Anti-Doping Violation

When Brock Lesnar announced that he would be making his highly-anticipated return to fighting at July 9’s UFC 200 card in Las Vegas, Nevada, many had speculated on how he would be handled by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Typically when a fighter comes out of retirement, he must be entered into the USADA testing

The post BREAKING: Brock Lesnar Flagged By USADA For Potential Anti-Doping Violation appeared first on LowKick MMA.

When Brock Lesnar announced that he would be making his highly-anticipated return to fighting at July 9’s UFC 200 card in Las Vegas, Nevada, many had speculated on how he would be handled by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Typically when a fighter comes out of retirement, he must be entered into the USADA testing pool four months prior to competing.

Given that Lesnar had announced his return just weeks before the landmark event, however, he was granted an exception to that rule by the UFC. Lesnar has also been questioned regarding performance-enhancing-drugs (PEDs) due to his freakish physique, but he had never tested positive for any type of steroid – that is until now.

According to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, “The Beast” has been flagged by USADA for a potential anti-doping violation stemming from a test administered on June 28, 2016:

USADA had claimed that they had intensely tested Lesnar leading up to UFC 200, and it appears as if they have found something. This marks the second massive ‘bust’ by USADA regarding UFC 200, as scheduled headliner Jon Jones was pulled from the card just days prior after being notified of a potential anti-doping violation as well.

Stay tuned to LowKickMMA.com as more news unfolds regarding this matter.

The post BREAKING: Brock Lesnar Flagged By USADA For Potential Anti-Doping Violation appeared first on LowKick MMA.