Mark Hunt’s lawsuit against UFC, Dana White, and Brock Lesnar shot down again

Mark Hunt has effectively exhausted all of his legal options after filing a lawsuit against the UFC, Dana White, and Brock Lesnar following his fight against Lesnar at UFC 200 back in 2016.

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a decision made by Judge Jennifer Dorsey that struck down Hunt’s lawsuit against his former employers, which started with accusations of battery, fraud and conspiracy and eventually ended with claims that the UFC knowingly misled him and booked him in a fight against an opponent on performance-enhancing drugs.

Hunt initially lost the fight by unanimous decision, but the result was later overturned to a no-contest after Lesnar tested positive for clomiphene, a banned substance at all times for athletes competing in the UFC.

In the decision, the panel once again ruled against Hunt while affirming Dorsey’s decision from 2023 that dismissed the remainder of the claims the former heavyweight fighter had against the UFC. Court House News initially reported the judgment.

“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 decision read. “Indeed, while maintaining that such evidence does in fact exist, Hunt acknowledged both in his reply brief and at argument that evidence of damages has not yet been “adequately presented.” At the summary judgment stage, the nonmoving party must present evidence showing there is a genuine issue of material fact for trial.

“[T]he nonmoving party may not merely . . . proceed in the hope that something can be developed at trial in the way of evidence to support its claim. Absent evidence of damages resulting from Defendants-Appellants’ allegedly wrongful conduct, we must affirm.”

Following multiple appeals getting shut down, Hunt actually lost his attorneys and ended up representing himself in the case.

The lawsuit was initially shot down, but then later revived when the Ninth Circuit Court granted Hunt the opportunity to push forward on claims of fraud and battery, which allowed the fighter to move forward with discovery.

That attempt also failed after Dorsey dismissed the claims while stating that Hunt was “unable to provide the necessary evidentiary support for his theories.”

Now her decision has been affirmed, which essentially ends Hunt’s lawsuit against the UFC. He remains on the hook for legal fees involving the case.

Back in 2023 when the initial decision was handed down, White reacted to the news calling Hunt “delusional” and adding that “he’s going to have to pay some legal fees.” It appears that’s now the case with Hunt’s lawsuit dead in the water with this latest ruling from the courts.