The lengthy lawsuit stemming from Mark Hunt’s fight with Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 has finally reached its conclusion.
“Super Samoan” was booked to meet the former heavyweight champion on the main card of UFC 200 in 2016 to add some extra star power to a huge PPV. Lesnar hadn’t competed in MMA for nearly five years by that point, and the unique circumstances of the matchup encouraged the UFC to forgo the usual USADA testing requirements to expedite his return.
Lesnar won the fight via unanimous decision, but a pair of failed drug tests caused that result to be overturned to a No Contest and opened the door for Hunt to pursue legal action in 2017.
The case was initially dismissed in 2019 before being brought back in appeals court in 2021, but according to Jason Morrin it appears the matter has finally been settled and “Super Samoan” came out on the losing end.
The news is certainly unfortunate for Hunt, who occasionally battled with both the UFC and Dana White during his fighting career and has been openly critical of the promotion’s business practices since retiring from MMA.
The 49-year-old went on a 1-4 run after the Lesnar fight before leaving the UFC in 2018. Hunt competed in his first professional boxing match in 2020 and lost a unanimous decision, but last year he returned to the ring and picked up a knockout victory against Sonny Bill Williams.
The UFC hadn’t been partnered with USADA very long when UFC 200 took place, and earlier this year Hunt suggested that the situation created by Lesnar’s failed tests might be the only thing keeping the promotion from granting Conor McGregor a similar exemption to return to the Octagon.
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