Mark Hunt Already Plotting His Exit from the UFC
Mark Hunt isn’t sticking around the UFC for much longer.
The embattled heavyweight knockout artist has been at odds with the promotion for more than a year after his fight at UFC 200 against Brock Lesnar. In that matchup, Lesnar won by unanimous decision but it was later revealed he tested positive for a banned substance after the UFC gave him an exemption that allowed him to return without undergoing several months worth of drug testing by USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency).
Hunt later filed a lawsuit against the UFC, Dana White and Lesnar for damages in a legal battle that’s still ongoing. Add to that, Hunt was pulled from his last fight after making comments about his health from all the years spent in fighting where he’s suffering memory loss and slurred speech.
The UFC yanked Hunt from his fight and had him undergo additional testing before finally clearing him to return to action at UFC 221 in February.
The constant battle with the UFC has forced Hunt to say enough is enough and he plans on finishing out his current contract with the promotion and then moving onto a new promotion.
“We’ll get that number nine [ranked fighter] and put him away, so hopefully the UFC can give me someone higher instead of giving me someone beneath me,” Hunt told Submission Radio when discussing his upcoming fight against Curtis “So, it is what it is. I just gotta keep ticking the boxes and just moving ahead with the career.
“Three fights left, this will be one of them, I got two left and then see you later.”
Hunt confirmed when asked about exiting the UFC that after the final three fights on his current contract that he has no plans to sign a new deal with the promotion.
Instead, Hunt plans to explore options internationally with potential fights close to home in New Zealand or Australia or possibly returning to his old stomping grounds in Japan where he first made a name for himself as a K-1 kickboxer.
“Well, for the UFC, yeah. That will be the end of my career in the UFC. I have two fights left and that’s it,” Hunt added. “You probably know the path I’ve had with the UFC, but you know, it’s business. I haven’t done nothing wrong, I just don’t like to be treated like s–t – even if I’m an employee or whatever and I speak my mind about it and, you know, I’ll go from there. So like I said, three fights left and I’ll move on.
“Of course I’m looking at going and fighting global fights for New Zealand, Australia and probably Japan. It depends on what happens. Like I said, I’m still chasing the dream of that world title. I’m in a good position to get a finish in this fight, beat this guy, then move on to the top end. It’s not gonna be easy, but I’ll see what happens and hopefully I get next in line for the world title shot, go from there. So, see what happens.”
