Outside Source
Mark Hunt was arrested on alleged domestic violence charges on Tuesday. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Former UFC and Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight Mark Hunt was arrested on domestic violence charges in Australia, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hunt was arrested in the Northern Rivers region of Australia on Tuesday evening on charges of stalking or intimidation with intent to cause physical harm. Per the report, Hunt allegedly threatened to physically assault a family member at the property. The 52-year-old was denied police bail ahead of a court appearance on Wednesday.
It revealed during Wednesday’s testimony, according to the report, that Hunt was helping the family member with an unspecified task when he began acting in an “intimidating and berating manner” that caused “fear and distress” for the woman and another witness. Hunt also allegedly previously sent the woman a threatening text: “I’m just going to murder you in the end anyway.” Hunt wasn’t charged in relation to the text, and the defense denied that he sent the message.
Conditions for Bail
Hunt on Wednesday was granted bail on the condition that he return to his home in southwest Sydney and not contact the complainant. The defense revealed that Hunt is likely to plead guilty to the stalking and intimidation charge. Hunt’s case is scheduled to be heard in Australia’s Ballina Local Court on April 30.
A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Hunt made his name as a knockout artist while competing for both the UFC and Pride. He filed a civl lawsuit against the UFC, Dana White and Brock Lesnar in 2017, alleging the parties “affirmatively circumvented and obstructed fair competition for their own benefit.” In short, Hunt claimed that White and the promotion booked him against Lesnar at UFC 200 while knowing that his opponent was using performance enhancing drugs. The case was initially dismissed in 2019 before finding new life in appeals court in 2021. Last year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Hunt would not be able to sue the UFC due to the fact that “evidence of damages had not been adequately presented.”
Hunt hasn’t fought since December 2018, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Justin Willis at UFC Fight Night 142. Over the course of his 29-fight career, “The Super Samoan” earned victories over the likes of Derrick Lewis, Frank Mir, Antonio Silva, Roy Nelson, Cheick Kongo, Ben Rothwell, Mirko Filipovic and Wanderlei Silva.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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