At UFC 216 night out Fabricio Werdum was expected to faces Derrick Lewis, however, at the last minute before the fight Lewis stepped down due to off back injury. Werdum agreed to compete against Walt Harris and won the bout Via armbar submission in the first round.
Former heavyweight champion Mark Hunt was scheduled to fight Marcin Tybura in the heavyweight main event of UFC Sydney on Nov. 19, but now the promotion announced that Hunt has been removed from that booking due to ‘medical concerns’ over the comments Hunt made on brain damage. Hunt will be replaced by Fabricio Werdum.
Mark Hunt out, @FabricioWerdum steps in to take on @MarcinTybura at #UFCSydney Main Event (November 19th) #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/Oki0EqV2IJ
— Farah Hannoun (@Farah_Hannoun) October 10, 2017
As per The Daily Telegraph:
Following a recent first-person article published by heavyweight Mark Hunt, the UFC has taken the precautionary steps of removing Hunt from a previously announced bout in Sydney, Australia,”
“The health-related statements made by Hunt in the article represent the first time UFC was made aware of these claims. Athlete health and safety is of the utmost importance to the organization and it would never knowingly schedule an athlete complaining of health issues for a fight. The organization will require that Hunt undergo further testing and evaluations prior to competing in any future UFC bout.”
Mark Hunt doesn’t look happy:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaFfEoCgaaH/
The UFC might be looking out best for Mark Hunt, but he’s not happy with its latest decision regarding his career. Mark hunt wrote some powerful testimonial for Players’ voice where he revealed some severe health concerns after 20 years of professional MMA and kickboxing.
“I will probably end my life fighting,” Hunt wrote this past September.
“I’ve been fighting since I was a child, fighting to get out of my circumstances. I used to make $300 a week, struggling to put food on the table but I have become one of the highest-paid fighters in the world. I feel that’s destiny. This is what I’m supposed to be doing and if I die fighting, that’s fine. I just hope that if it does happen, it will be in an honest and fair competition.
“My body is f**ked but my mind is still here. I’ve still got my senses about me and I know what’s right and wrong, which is the main thing. Sometimes I don’t sleep well. 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 s**t I did years and years ago.
“That’s just the price I’ve paid – the price of being a fighter. But I’ve fought a lot of drug cheats and copped a lot of punishment from guys who were cheating and that’s not right.”
More updates:
Mark Hunt followed up his initial IG post
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaFk0UJgFNB/
In the following IG post, he knows the reason why he has been pulled from UFC Sydney main event, as there is prolonged dispute going on between the company and him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaFlNhzgtyL/
Currently, Mark Hunt is suing the UFC, Dana White, and Brock Lesnar for fraud, battery, and civil conspiracy.
