Judge Again Dismisses Mark Hunt’s Lawsuit Against UFC, Dana White, Brock Lesnar

It appears that Mark Hunt’s long legal battle against the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dana White and Brock Lesnar has reached its conclusion.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey dismissed Hunt’s lawsuit on Tuesday when she determined that the former UFC heavyweight failed to prove the promotion and White booked him against Lesnar while knowing that his opponent was using performance enhancing drugs. Conduct Detrimental writer Jason Morrin first brought word of the dismissal on social media.

Hunt initially filed a civil lawsuit against the trio in 2017. The case was initially dismissed in 2019 but found new life in appeals court in 2021. Dorsey concluded that Hunt did not meet the evidentiary burden on his remaining claims of fraud, battery, aiding-and-abetting battery and civil conspiracy.

“In sum, each of Hunt’s fraud theories requires far too many inferential leaps and ignores too much contrary evidence for a jury to reasonably find in his favor, particularly by clear and convincing evidence,” Dorsey wrote in a 27-page opinion document.

Lesnar defeated Hunt via unanimous decision at UFC 200 in July 2016. It was revealed after the fact that the former heavyweight champion tested positive for the anti-estrogen agent clomiphene in both an in-competition and out-of-competition drug screening, and the result was overturned to a no contest.

Lesnar was eventually suspended for one year and fined $250,000 for the failed drug tests. However, Hunt was upset that Lesnar received the majority of his purse and that his opponent was given an exemption from the USADA policy that requires fighters to enter the drug testing pool for a four-month period upon coming out of retirement.

“It’s only fair that if a guy gets caught cheating, he doesn’t get paid,” Hunt said then. “I’m putting my life on the line when I get inside the cage, all I’m asking for is a level playing field.”

Hunt would compete five more times under the UFC banner, posting a 1-4 record within the Las Vegas-based promotion. His last appearance came at UFC Fight Night 142 on Dec. 1, 2018, when he dropped a unanimous decision against Justin Willis.