Ever since it emerged that Brock Lesnar had failed a drugs test before and after his win over Mark Hunt at UFC 200, the man on the receiving end of that loss has been vocal in his insistence that more needs to be done to stamp doping out of the sport.
Sadly, Hunt's calls for fighters to rally and demand more from their employer has not gained much traction, and 'The Super Samoan' has once again claimed that he believes his fellow fighters are scared to speak up for fear of angering the UFC and limiting their opportunities going forward.
But that has not stopped Mark Hunt from speaking his mind, and in a revealing and fascinating column for PlayersVoice.com.au, the veteran brawler admitted that he expects the damage he has taken due to fighting to eventually cost him his life, something he is OK with as long as the playing field is levelled.
Hunt also shed light on some of the everyday struggles his long career in kickboxing and MMA have caused him.
I will probably end my life fighting.
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 fucked 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 shit 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.
Worrying stuff, Hunt is one of the more likeable fighters ever to set foot in the octagon so it's rather sad to hear that he is having difficulties like the ones above, but it comes with the territory for someone who has over 70 professional fights in different disciplines.
But he wants to keep on fighting, not just in the UFC, but also against it.
Hunt also took time to comment on the state of fighter pay, and express his belief that what top UFC stars are earning just is not fair when you factor in the costs and taxes.
We need the Ali Act put in place. Fighters want to know what they’re worth.
It pisses me off when some fighters say, ‘It’s great to be part of the UFC, it pays the bills’. It doesn’t. That’s coming from one of the highest paid fighters in the world. These guys don’t get paid jack shit. For someone that makes $200,000-$300,000 a fight, half of that goes to tax and half again is for their camp. Then whatever’s left they’ve got to use for their mortgage. If you’ve worked your arse off to get in the top ten, you should be getting paid properly.
Even the champion, Stipe Miocic, is asking for more money. How the hell can the champion of the world be asking for a pay rise? Gegard Mousasi is another one. He moved to Bellator and it’s because these guys aren’t getting what they’re worth and they don’t know what the company is making off them.
I’m just speaking the truth; a lot of fighters are scared to.
He's absolutely spot on.
There is a monopoly on the top talent in MMA and while the likes of Rory MacDonald and Gegard Mousasi have earned more money by leaving for rival organisations, it's clear to see that most fighters are afraid that angering the UFC by speaking out will ensure that their opportunities are marginalised.
Change is not likely to come anytime soon, but fair play to people like Mark Hunt for helping to raise more awareness that they really do need to be made.
You can read Hunt's piece in full over on PlayersView.com.au.
