I feel like I've missed some big point here. Mark fought people who have roided before when it wasn't against the rules. Then went into an organization that is supposed to test and prevent PED usage. Then he fights a guy who is supposed to be tested, but is obviously on PED's and said he knows he's on PED's but going to kick his ass anyway. Then he lost. Then it came to light that the guy did test positive for PED's and seemingly the organization that was supposed to be testing and preventing instead basically covered it up to the degree that the fight would still happen. And Mark sued the UFC, not Brock, right?
And people are treating the Pride fights and the "I'm going to beat up a guy on steroids" statement like they're some damning admission on Hunt's part that isn't later overruled by the fact the organization covered for the PED user, so he shouldn't have been allowed to sue?
Here's the long winded, boring legaleese version:
Mark Hunt sued the UFC, Dana White, and Brock Lesnar for the following since 2017:
Fraud: Hunt claimed the UFC, White, and Lesnar knowingly misled him by allowing Lesnar to fight despite alleged awareness of his performance-enhancing drug (PED) use.
Battery and Aiding-and-Abetting Battery: He argued that facing a doped opponent caused him physical harm, including severe injuries, and that the UFC facilitated this by granting Lesnar an exemption from the standard four-month U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing window required for returning fighters.
Civil Conspiracy: Hunt alleged the UFC and Lesnar colluded to circumvent anti-doping policies, prioritizing profit over fighter safety.
Racketeering (RICO Violations): He accused the UFC of running a scheme that allowed doped fighters to compete, violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Breach of Contract and Implied Covenant of Good Faith: Hunt claimed the UFC failed to ensure a fair fight by waiving Lesnar’s testing requirement, breaching their contractual obligations.
Hunt sought damages, including Lesnar’s $2.5 million purse, punitive damages, and compensation for physical, emotional, and financial harm, such as lost opportunities and reputational damage. He also demanded stricter penalties for doping, like forfeiting a cheater’s entire purse to the clean fighter.
Hunt’s lawsuit was dismissed, with key rulings in 2019, 2023, and a final affirmation by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in April 2025, which destroyed his case piece by piece over multiple appeals.
Lack of Evidence for Knowledge or Conspiracy:
U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey ruled in 2023 that Hunt failed to provide sufficient evidence that the UFC, White, or Lesnar knowingly conspired to allow Lesnar to fight while using PEDs. The court found no proof that the UFC was aware of Lesnar’s positive test before the fight, as the June 28 test results were not available until after UFC 200. Dorsey noted that Hunt’s claims required “too many inferential leaps” and ignored contrary evidence, such as Lesnar passing multiple clean tests before the event.
The lawsuit hinged on proving the UFC intentionally circumvented anti-doping rules, but the court accepted that the UFC’s exemption of Lesnar from the four-month testing window was within its rights under “exceptional circumstances,” as Lesnar was returning after a nearly five-year hiatus.
Speculative Damages:
Hunt claimed financial losses, arguing he would have won the fight if Lesnar hadn’t doped. However, Judge Dorsey deemed this “highly speculative,” as there was no direct evidence linking Lesnar’s PED use to Hunt’s loss or specific injuries. The court also found insufficient proof of reputational or economic harm caused by the UFC’s actions. This was without the UFC even bringing up that they had increased Mark's contract, probably because it would raise questions as to why you would triple a losing fighter's wage.
Legal Hurdles for RICO and Fraud Claims:
This is where I think that Mark hired some scumfuck attorney that decided he was going to ride Mark out for all the money he has. To try to
civilly bring about a RICO is unheard of, at least to me. The RICO claims were dismissed in 2019 because Hunt couldn’t substantiate a pattern of corrupt activity by the UFC. Most of his original claims, including fraud and conspiracy, were dismissed with prejudice in 2019, meaning they couldn’t be refiled. Although an appeals court revived fraud, battery, and conspiracy claims in 2021, these were dismissed again in 2023 due to lack of evidentiary support.
His lawyers have fucked off, and as of 2025 Mark has been representing himself in court.
The most damning part was the initial finding about anti-doping in the UFC: The UFC’s partnership with USADA, which began in 2015, was relatively new at the time of UFC 200. The court recognized that the UFC followed USADA’s protocols, and the delayed test results were a procedural issue, not evidence of a cover-up. The exemption for Lesnar was seen as a business decision to expedite a high-profile fight, not proof of intent to enable doping.
That in and of itself made sure that Mark would never have won this case, as he would have to prove the opposite and a sprawling conspiracy at the same time. That's the issue with courts. It's your word vs mine, if I can talk gooder than you can, I'll probably win, and there are a lot of people more eloquent than Mark in the law trade.
And people are treating the Pride fights and the "I'm going to beat up a guy on steroids" statement like they're some damning admission on Hunt's part that isn't later overruled by the fact the organization covered for the PED user, so he shouldn't have been allowed to sue?
It actually
was a damning admission, since it totally destroyed Hunt's case that fighting a guy on roids destroyed his career physically and financially, which is precisely what he was suing for to establish the case.
No one is saying he isn't allowed to sue, you can sue anyone for anything. What I and some others have been saying is "Mark should have someone he loves tell him to drop it so he doesn't go bankrupt and have a really ugly final third of his life."
He's still on the hook $400k for court costs and who knows how much for his attorneys.
TL;DR Mark's case was DOA, but his hardheadedness and scumbag attorneys will possibly bankrupt him over a hopeless cause.
