In an interview with MMA Fighting, Mark Hunt said that his UFC 209 fight with Alistair Overeeem was forced on him by the promotion. The UFC claimed that he would be in breach of contract if he didn’t take it. He’s currently suing the promotion for racketeering, fraud and negligence over Brock Lesnar’s failed drug tests. The Overeem fight happens on March 4. Here are highlights:
On why he accepted the fight: “They put me in a position, like well what am I supposed to do? They forced this fight on me, pretty much.”
On not being able to fight for other organizations: “I couldn’t go anywhere else. That’s the position right now it is. If I couldn’t work anywhere else and I’m still trying to get my fair deal in this thing, what am I supposed to do? If they’re going to let me go, let me go. At least I can go work somewhere else. I’ve gotta look after my family and my commitments as well. And they can’t just sit me at the back of the bus without having any work. You can’t do that.”
On fighting Overeem, someone who has failed a drug test in the past: “I don’t make these choices. I don’t ask to fight anybody. All I ask is to fight the best fighters in the world. All I’m doing is when they ask, ‘Will you fight this person?’ [I say,] ‘Yes, because I’m employed with them.’ So when they ask, ‘Will you fight this guy?’ Of course, I’ll fight anybody in the world.”
Undereem has been clean for awhile now, so he at least won't have to worry about that, this time. I'd rather Alistair went to Rizin and became Ubereem again, I preferred that fighter.
“I don’t make these choices. I don’t ask to fight anybody. All I ask is to fight the best fighters in the world. All I’m doing is when they ask, ‘Will you fight this person?’ [I say,] ‘Yes, because I’m employed with them.’ So when they ask, ‘Will you fight this guy?’ Of course, I’ll fight anybody in the world.”
Either way I'm wondering why the UFC got him to do this despite the lawsuit he's filed against him. Maybe they're just trying to get him finished and don't want to release him.
The UFC has a tendency to never say anything in public that they maybe concerned about in private. For example Dana is never going to tell his side of the story with throwing out Ariel aside from his rant on the Uncensored podcast. Likewise aside from their saying they will defend themselves vehemently against the class action lawsuit they won't say anything about legal troubles.
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