Mark Hunt doesn't believe he'll be facing a natural "Beast" at UFC 200.
Hunt is set to take on Brock Lesnar at the July 9 milestone event after the WWE granted the former UFC heavyweight champion a "one-off" appearance for the promotion.
There is an anti-doping policy in the UFC for fighters that explains they must start the process four months before a fight to be able to compete. Since Lesnar just agreed to the fight last Friday, he has just one month until the bout and can't start the process. Thusly, the former WWE Champion was granted an exemption by the USDA.
This decision hasn't sat well with Hunt, who accused Lesnar of being "juiced to the gills."
"I don't think that's fair. I think it's load of bullsh-t, I think it's rubbish," Hunt told 'UFC Fight Week' on Fox Sports. "I don't think anyone should be exempt from testing. If they're trying to clean the sport up -- mixed martial arts -- this is a bad way to do it. I don't care who you are. It's ridiculous."
He continued: "I don't think it's a great move. I think he's juiced to the gills - and I still think I'm going to knock him out. So I don't think that's correct. I don't think he should be allowed to get a four-month exemption otherwise everyone else should. Otherwise I should start juicing. How are you going to clean the sport up doing that s--t? It won't happen. I don't think it's fair."
Hunt said he voiced his opinion to UFC president Dana White, but it's unlikely any change will be made -- especially after the Conor McGregor fight was already removed from the card.
The UFC released a statement about Lesnar's exemption, saying they "may grant a former athlete an exemption to the four-month written notice rules in exceptional circumstances or where the strict application of that rule would be manifestly unfair to an athlete," according to WrestlingInc. "Given Lesnar last competed in UFC on December 30, 2011, long before the UFC Anti-Doping Policy went into effect, for purposes of the Anti-Doping Policy, he is being treated similarly to a new athlete coming into the organization."
Lesnar hasn't competed since a loss to Alistair Overeem in 2011 right before his retirement due to diverticulitis. He enters his fight with Hunt with a 5-3 overall record. Hunt, meanwhile, is 7-4-1 since entering the UFC and is coming in off of a victory over Frank Mir with a knockout punch on Mar. 20 in Australia.
For more content, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN or LIKE US on Facebook.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
