Mark Hunt fired shots at the UFC for not paying the fighters out of Oceania, including featherweight champ Alex Volkanovski, Tai Tuivasa, and Robert Whittaker enough.
Mixed martial arts veteran Mark Hunt started his professional career under the Pride FC banner in Jun. 2004. Although he dropped his debut, Hunt rebounded quickly and racked up an impressive five-fight win streak over the likes of Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Filipovic. He developed a reputation for delivering entertaining fights and his signature one-punch walk-off knockout.
Hunt got involved in a bitter public feud with the UFC after the result of his bout with Brock Lesnar got overturned due to failed drug tests on the latter’s part. They have been engaged in litigation on related matters since.
Mark Hunt bashes UFC for ripping off Oceania fighters
In a recent interview with The Casual Fan Experience, Mark Hunt bashed the UFC for not giving the Oceania fighters a fair cut of the profits.
“Tai was one of the guys that came through me to be honest but at the end of the day, he knows how I feel about the company. He knows how I feel they are getting exploited,” said Hunt. “It’s a rip off. Guys like Volk, Whittaker, ‘Bam Bam,’ all the guys from the Oceania area that work for the UFC are getting ripped off. When you’re the world champ like Volkanovksi, he’s getting ripped off.
“Tell me he’s not. It’s a shame. It’s a problem. All the Aussies and Kiwis that supported them in person, that pay-per-view, half of that money should be going to him and his family. But he probably organized maybe a dollar fifty or two or three dollars if he’s lucky. So, he would’ve made probably $2-3 million when he should be making $15 to 20 million.”
Hunt labeled the UFC a ‘joke’
‘The Super Samoan’ questioned the legitimacy of the promotion due to the perceived disparity in actual profits and fighter pay.
“The moment these fighters realize that they can fight for their own rights,” he continued. “Every time I see the UFC I say it’s a f**king joke.”
“I know what they’re going through because I’ve been there, I’ve done that. It’s sad when I see fighters getting all f**ked up fighting their hearts out for their families to make change when you know they’re getting chump change.“
“These guys are just pathetic scrubby grubs. They’re stealers, thieves.”
Mark Hunt was last seen in action in a boxing match against Sonny Bill Williams last November. He handily dispatched Williams with a vicious punch combo in his retirement fight.
