Hunt Loses Lengthy Court Case Against UFC

Mark Hunt has suffered one final Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) loss.

“The Super Samoan” has been embroiled in a legal battle against his former employer since late 2017, alleging racketeering, fraud, and breach of contract, among other claims following his no-contest against Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 in July 2016. That changed today (Tues., Sept. 26, 2023) as a Nevada judge dismissed the remainder of Hunt’s case, which claimed battery, fraud, and conspiracy against UFC, Dana White, and Lesnar for the UFC 200 bout, according to MMA Fighting. The judge ruled against Hunt in two separate rulings, which dismissed all of his claims before the appeals court reversal.

Hunt failed to provide evidence that UFC, White, and Lesnar knowingly misled him about Lesnar’s performance-enhancing drug (PED) use, per U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. Lesnar’s PED use led to the no-contest result after failing a pre-fight drug test. Hunt initially suffered a unanimous decision loss.

“In sum, each of Hunt’s fraud theories requires far too many inferential leaps and ignores too much contrary evidence for a jury to reasonably find in his favor, particularly by clear and convincing evidence,” wrote Dorsey in a 27-page opinion (h/t Jason Morrin).

Hunt, 49, fought five more times in UFC, going 1-4 (13-14-1, 1 no contest overall) before parting ways with the promotion and retiring from mixed martial arts (MMA). The one-time UFC interim Heavyweight title challenger has boxed twice since his final Octagon appearance against Justin Willis in December 2018. Hunt is 1-1 in those matches, competing as recently as November 2022 when he earned a fourth round technical knockout over Sonny Bill Williams.

Lesnar, on the other hand, hasn’t fought since his match up with Hunt and has remained relatively active as a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) professional wrestler in the past seven years.