UFC star Mark Hunt sues organization, Dana White and Brock Lesnar

UFC heavyweight star Mark Hunt is taking his fight to the courtroom.

Hunt said late Tuesday he had filed a lawsuit against the organization, its president and his most recent opponent for conspiring against him to allow Brock Lesnar to skirt the rules and fight with the aid of performance-enhancing drugs.

In a RICO lawsuit filed Tuesday in Nevada District Court, Hunt named the UFC, Dana White and Lesnar as defendants.

Hunt’s suit alleges a conspiracy to commit a crime related to racketeering, fraud, false pretenses, breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, negligence and unjust enrichment.

The suit was first reported by ESPN and later confirmed by Hunt on his website and social media accounts.

“Yes, I am suing Lesnar and the UFC for his entire purse,” Hunt posted. “Cheaters deserve nothing!”

The UFC said it had no comment regarding the lawsuit.

At the heart of the suit is an allegation that UFC officials essentially allowed Lesnar an exemption from the organization’s testing program before he fought Hunt at UFC 200 on July 9 in Las Vegas due to a knowledge that he would not pass.

Lesnar, a former UFC heavyweight champion and current professional wrestling star, returned from his 2011 retirement for the bout.

His return was officially announced a month before the fight, and Lesnar was entered into the UFC’s random testing program at that time, having been granted an exemption from the normal four-month period in the program required for fighters returning from retirement.

Lesnar tested positive for two banned substances before the fight on the night of the event. Neither positive test result was received until after the fight.

“Without Hunt’s knowledge or consent, the UFC conspired and caused Lesnar, a doping fighter, to fight Hunt, a clean fighter, despite the fact that Lesnar used substances banned by the UFC, USADA and WADA,” the suit alleges. “The substances, Clomiphene and 4-Hydroxyclomiphene, are known ‘Post Cycle Therapy’ substances believed to be used after a period of strength training with anabolic steroids or similar prohibited substances.”

Lesnar was suspended for one year and fined $250,000 by the Nevada Athletic Commission and handed a one-year ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, the administrator of the UFC’s anti-doping policy, which he is serving concurrently. Lesnar’s win was overturned to a no-contest.

Hunt argues the penalty is not enough, particularly because Lesnar was believed to be returning for just one fight anyway.

“Lesnar’s and UFC’s interests in having Lesnar compete in UFC 200 were aligned such that any punishment from a doping violation, including suspensions or fines, would be relatively negligible,” the suit claims.

Lesnar made $2.5 million for the fight, plus an undisclosed share of pay-per-view revenue. Hunt made a disclosed purse of $700,000.

In the suit, Hunt claims UFC officials granted Lesnar the waiver knowing he was using performance-enhancing drugs. He also alleges Lesnar had agreed to a deal for his comeback well before it was announced and Lesnar could have been placed in the program at that time.

Hunt has been a vocal critic of PED users, particularly since his past three opponents have failed drug tests.

Antonio Silva tested positive for elevated testosterone after their 2015 fight, and Frank Mir was flagged for a PED violation after their 2016 bout.

Hunt is scheduled to fight Alistair Overeem, who also has failed a drug test, at UFC 209 on March 4 at T-Mobile Arena.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.