UFC accused of "ripping off" Alexander Volkanovski, Robert Whittaker, and others
Former UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt has accused Dana White and the UFC of taking advantage of talent such as Alexander Volkanovski and Robert Whittaker.
'The Super Samoan', known for his walk-away knockouts, was a widely popular figure during his time in the promotion. The powerful Hunt also has a well-publicized beef with the organization.
During Hunt's career, he fought Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir and Antonio Silva, all of whom later tested positive for banned substances. These instances led to Mark Hunt demanding changes be implemented into UFC contracts if a fighter cheats. He was denied, which led to a public fallout between himself and Dana White.
Now, having called time on his MMA career, Hunt has been left frustrated at the unfair treatment he believes Australian and New Zealander fighters receive. During an episode of The Casual Fan Experience podcast, Hunt claimed that the UFC was "ripping off" ANZ fighters:
"They're getting exploited and it's a f***ing rip off. For me, guys like Volk, Whittaker, Tai, they're all getting ripped off. When you're the world champion like Volkanovski, he's getting ripped off. It's a shame. It's a problem, all the Aussies and the Kiwis that are supporting them... The moment these fighters realize that, is the moment they can fight for their own rights. It's a joke."
Catch Hunt's comments here (34:30):
Alexander Volkanovski on losing his No.1 UFC P4P spot to Jon Jones
Alexander Volkanovski believes Jon Jones is more than deserving of his return to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.
Jones secured himself as the greatest fighter of all time in the eyes of some fans when he dismantled Ciryl Gane upon his UFC return. 'Bones' needed just over two minutes in his heavyweight debut to submit Gane, which saw him capture the vacant title.
Following Jones' victory, the 35-year-old knocked Volkanovski off the pound-for-pound top spot. Speaking on Steve-O's Wild Ride!, the featherweight champion stated that he has no issue losing his place to Jon Jones:
"You're right - it was just that one [fight in three years], but what he did, moving up, at least he moved up and showed that pound-for-pound comes into play. The body of work that we’ve done in the last three years, obviously, a lot of people are gonna be like, 'Look what Alex has done in the last three years.'"
He added:
"You can get that, but at the same time, look at what Jon Jones has done as well. Can I really argue that when you look at it? He’s gonna be one of the greatest of all time. For him to take that is like, 'D**n it, what do you do?'"
Catch the episode here (2:10):