UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt is currently in a heated confrontation with the mixed martial arts promotion. Initially set to headline the UFC’s immanent return to the Australia, Hunt has since been pulled from the event.
The UFC has since offered a statement as to the reasoning for the unexpected removal. Referencing an article published by Hunt, the statement claims that Hunt’s “health-related statements” caused concern for the well being of the fighter. As a result, Hunt was pulled from the event.
In the article, Hunt discussed how he sometimes misses spans of time and that fighting has potentially affected his health. That being said, “The Super Samoan” quickly took to social media to fire off some heated words towards the UFC and UFC President Dana White.
In the message, Hunt threatens to file another lawsuit with the MMA promotion, as Hunt is already in litigation with the UFC over Brock Lesnar’s failed drug test following their fight at UFC 200.
In an interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter, Dana White offered his thoughts on the entire situation.
When Bronsteter brought up the possibility of Hunt’s published article had any sway on the UFC’s decision, White responded:
“It’s exactly that. The guy wrote a story basically saying he’s got brain damage, he slurs his words and all these other things. Now he’s saying the story was taken out of context. You wrote the story. How do you take a story you wrote out of context?”
When Bronsteter commented that Mark Hunt may be calling fake news on his own story, White responded:
“Pretty much. So yeah, sometimes you have to protect these guys from themselves.”
When asked what it will take to get Hunt back into the octagon, White added:
“We have to know that what he is saying is not true, cause now he’s saying it’s not true. He saying that is is absolutely not true. ‘I’ll slur my words when I’m drinking,’ he said. But we’ve got to make sure this guy is alright, no matter what he says to me.”
