Mark Hunt has reportedly exhausted all available legal avenues in his lawsuit against the UFC, president Dana White, and fighter Brock Lesnar. The long-running legal battle originated after Hunt`s fight against Lesnar at UFC 200 in 2016.
A three-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed a previous decision by Judge Jennifer Dorsey. That ruling had dismissed Hunt’s lawsuit, which initially included serious accusations of battery, fraud, and conspiracy. Later, Hunt’s claims focused on the assertion that the UFC intentionally misled him and scheduled him to fight an opponent they knew was using performance-enhancing drugs.
Hunt was originally defeated by Lesnar via unanimous decision. However, the fight result was later changed to a no-contest after Lesnar failed a drug test, testing positive for clomiphene, a substance banned at all times for athletes competing in the UFC.
In their latest judgment, the appeals panel again ruled against Hunt, confirming Judge Dorsey’s 2023 decision which had dismissed the remaining claims brought by the former heavyweight fighter against the UFC.
The court’s decision cited a critical lack of evidence regarding damages. “Unfortunately, Hunt does not point to any evidence in the record of any physical, emotional, economic, or reputational damage or harm attributable to Defendants-Appellees’ conduct,” the ruling stated. It further noted that while Hunt maintained such evidence existed, he admitted during the appeal that the evidence of damages had not yet been “adequately presented.”
The ruling emphasized the legal requirement at the summary judgment stage for the nonmoving party to present evidence showing a genuine issue of material fact exists for trial. It highlighted that the party cannot simply “proceed in the hope that something can be developed at trial in the way of evidence to support its claim.” Without evidence of damages resulting from the defendants’ allegedly wrongful conduct, the court affirmed the dismissal.
Following multiple unsuccessful appeals, Hunt eventually lost his legal representation and proceeded to represent himself in the case.
The lawsuit had been initially dismissed, but was later partially revived when the Ninth Circuit Court granted Hunt the opportunity to pursue claims of fraud and battery, which allowed the case to move forward with discovery.
This renewed effort also proved unsuccessful after Judge Dorsey dismissed the claims once more, stating that Hunt was “unable to provide the necessary evidentiary support for his theories.”
With her decision now affirmed by the appellate court, Hunt`s lawsuit against the UFC has effectively reached its conclusion. He remains liable for legal fees associated with the case.
After the initial dismissal in 2023, UFC President Dana White commented on the news, calling Hunt “delusional” and predicting that he would “have to pay some legal fees.” This latest ruling confirms that outcome, with Hunt’s lawsuit now definitively ended.
Marcus Blakely