Most fight fans will know professional combat sports don’t exactly have squeaky clean reputations.
Whether it’s boxing, UFC or any number of other martial arts, question marks and quiet allegations ranging from issues like refereeing and betting to scorecards have bubbled away just under the surface.
Unless you are UFC great Mark Hunt.
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Rather than tiptoeing around controversy, heavyweight Hunt just flat out declared he was once offered millions of dollars to deliberately lose a fight in Australia.
Hunt, 49, spent more than six years battling the UFC in court over a 2016 fight with Brock Lesnar, who failed a drug test shortly after beating the New Zealand-born Hunt by unanimous decision.
The heavyweight’s lawsuit was finally dismissed last year and while he didn’t want to talk about that situation, Hunt did make some extraordinary claims on UFC journalist Ariel Helwani’s YouTube show, The MMA Hour.
“I’ve been in a battle with billionaire companies and I don’t have their money,” Hunt said from Sydney.
“But I’ve always been one for saying if things aren’t right, they aren’t right.
“You know, I was offered three or four million dollars to take a dive in a fight here in Australia.
“And I said ‘are you serious?’ I said no because that’s just not me, although I could’ve done with the money, I was going through some hard times with a separation.
“I could’ve done with three or four million dollars, but that’s just not my character, it’s not me, I’d rather just go out with my shield and lose or die. It’s not what I’m about.”
Helwani was understandably shocked by the comments and followed up to confirm he had heard Hunt correctly.
“Yeah of course,” Hunt replied. “What, am I sitting here s**tting in your pants and lying? Come on bro.”
Helwani quickly said: “No, that’s just crazy to me that someone would have the audacity to do that.”
“I’m just being real,” Hunt said.
Asked if it was the first time that had happened in his long career, Hunt said: “It is, it is actually. It blew my f**king mind. It blew my f**king head right off my f**king shoulders.
“I was like holy s**t, how does it work? But anyway, I just left it in the past, kind of negative s**t, but it’s real. I’d never come upon that until then.”
Hunt is credited with seven fights in Australia across his 29-fight UFC career, while he also took part in boxing clashes with Paul Gallen and Sonny Bill Williams in Sydney in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
News.com.au is not suggesting any of those fights are tainted and Hunt did not provide any further details in the interview.
But he did make another startling claim that he intends to fight at least three or four times in 2024.
Hunt, who turns 50 in March, hasn’t fought since defeating Williams but is keen to make a move into the brutal Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
The man who calls himself the “Super Samoan” admitted the financial aspect of fighting is his main motivation, calling out BKFC champion Mick Terrill and also stating his interest in fighting YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul.
A day prior to his chat with Helwani, Hunt announced his comeback plans on Instagram.
“I’m looking forward to a good new year this year,” he said in the video.
“(In) 2024 I’m looking at fighting again, three or four (fights) maybe. I’m taking some offers.
“It’s especially a challenge at my age. I’m going to be 50 this year, but looking forward to the challenge and financially it will be great.
“A lot of things happening this year.
“I’m back to training, have to get ready for June, and that’s it.”