MARK HUNT IS no longer scheduled to fight on the UFC’s upcoming event in Sydney and he’s not at all happy about it.
Hunt was due to take on Polish heavyweight Marcin Tybura in the main event at UFC Fight Night 121 in his hometown on 19 November.
But the popular 43-year-old, who was born in New Zealand but is based in Sydney, has now been removed from the fight by the UFC.
In a statement, the organisation said Hunt has been pulled due to medical concerns. His place will be taken by former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum, who’ll be making a swift return to action following his win against Walt Harris last weekend.
In a recent piece for Players Voice, Hunt spoke of some of the health problems he has seemingly suffered during a combat sports career which began nearly 20 years ago.
“Sometimes I don’t sleep well,” he said. “You can hear me starting to stutter and slur my words. My memory is not that good anymore. I’ll forget something I did yesterday but I can remember the shit I did years and years ago. That’s just the price I’ve paid.”
However, the ‘Super Samoan’ reacted angrily to the news that the UFC has decided to withdraw him from his 16th fight under the organisation’s umbrella.
In an Instagram post directed at Dana White, Hunt referred to the UFC president as a “fuck-wit” and a “bald-headed prick”, among other things.
Hunt later added two follow-up posts via Instagram, in which he insisted that he was misquoted in the Players Voice piece and that doctors cleared him to fight just two days ago.
The former kickboxer also stated his belief that the UFC’s decision stems from an ongoing lawsuit between the fighter and the company in relation to his defeat — which was later overturned to a ‘no contest’ — against Brock Lesnar in July 2016.
Hunt is accusing the UFC of allowing Lesnar to compete despite his allegation that they were aware the former heavyweight champion was using performance-enhancing drugs.
Lesnar tested positive for a banned substance in samples taken two weeks before the bout and on the night of the fight itself.
