Mark Hunt launched a scathing assault on Jon Jones and cast doubt on the authenticity of the UFC following its latest event.
In the lead-up to his fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, MMA legend Mark Hunt took a swipe at both the company and Jon Jones.
After Jones won the heavyweight title by submitting Gane, Hunt took to social media to point out Jones’ history of drug test failures and arrests. He also questioned the legitimacy of the UFC for promoting someone like Jones, who recently became the second-highest-paid fighter on their roster.
Hunt’s comments included calling Jones a “cheating steroid rat” and suggesting that the UFC has no credibility for promoting such fighters. It’s worth noting that there have been no allegations of wrongdoing by either the fighter or the company leading up to the event.
However, Hunt has been in conflict with the UFC since 2017 when he filed a lawsuit against the promotion, its president Dana White, and his opponent at UFC 200, Brock Lesnar.
Hunt sued the UFC, Dana White, and Brock Lesnar following UFC 200
At the landmark event in July 2016, Mark Hunt claimed that the UFC knew Brock Lesnar was using banned substances prior to their fight.
However, in January 2022, the United States District Court in Nevada dismissed the case and ordered Hunt to pay £573,000 ($690,000) in legal fees to the UFC.
Despite this, Hunt’s legacy in MMA remains strong, with famous knockout wins against Derrick Lewis, Frank Mir, Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva, and Roy Nelson.
Hunt retired from MMA and transitioned to professional boxing, where he scored a huge upset victory over Rugby legend Sonny Bill Williams in November.
In his comeback fight and heavyweight debut, Jon Jones made it seem effortless.
Jon Jones, also known as ‘Bones’, claimed the title of heavyweight champion of the world in a swift victory over Ciryl Gane during the UFC 285 main event held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
After a low blow at the start of the fight, the former two-time light-heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, swiftly took down Ciryl Gane and began working on submissions. Within a little over two minutes, Jones secured a tap from the Frenchman and became a two-weight UFC champion, solidifying his status as the greatest of all time after years of debate.
During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, the emotional 35-year-old expressed his excitement, saying,
“I’ve been working on this for a long time. You know, a lot of people thought I was never coming back but I’ve been faithful to my goal and mission.”
Jones then expressed an interest in fighting former two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, to whom he has been heavily linked, in July.
“Y’all want to see me beat up Stipe? One thing I know about the UFC is we give the fans what they want to see,” he added.
“I hope you’re training, Stipe Miocic, my guy. You’re the greatest heavyweight of all time, and that’s what I want. I want you so bad,” said Jones, expressing his desire to fight the former two-time heavyweight champion.
Miocic hasn’t fought since his knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March 2021, and the 40-year-old was previously hoping to face Jones in 2021, but the fight fell through, and Jones ended up fighting Gane instead.
Now, with Jones winning the heavyweight title, it appears that both fighters are ready to face each other in the summer.
While shooting for a new movie during UFC 285, Jake Gyllenhaal showcased his chiseled physique and proficiency in mixed martial arts, leaving a lasting impression on many.
Jake Gyllenhaal stole the show during the UFC 285 weigh-ins
Later this year, Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal is set to star in a remake of the 1980s classic Road House, alongside Conor McGregor, which will be released on Amazon Prime. Gyllenhaal recently made a cameo appearance at UFC 285, where he ‘weighed in’ for a fictional title bout with retired MMA fighter Jay Hieron, who plays his opponent in the film.
The following day, the 42-year-old actor appeared in character as Elwood Dalton to film a scene in the Octagon between actual fights at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Despite taking some heavy hits, Gyllenhaal landed a flying knee ‘knockout’ blow on his opponent, impressing UFC president Dana White, who commented on his muscular physique.
This isn’t the first time the Oscar nominee has played a fighter, as he starred in the 2015 movie “Southpaw” as a boxer trying to rebuild his life after a personal tragedy. To prepare for the role of a light-heavyweight world champion, the then-34-year-old actor gained 15 lbs of muscle and underwent several months of boxing training to become proficient in the sport.
Gyllenhaal underwent an intense training regimen, dedicating six hours a day to his workouts, which included 2000 sit-ups, an eight-mile run, and a combination of skipping, boxing, and weight training.
During an interview with Howard Stern, he confessed that he knew nothing about boxing prior to accepting the role and had to immerse himself in the learning process. Gyllenhaal said he trained twice daily for five months, starting with three-mile runs and gradually increasing to eight miles. His daily routine also included two hours of mitt work, heavy bag, and speed bags, although he admitted to being a novice in the sport, lacking basic jabbing skills.
He is now poised to co-star with Conor McGregor in “Road House” as an MMA fighter.
“Over five months, every single day, twice a day you just start learning the techniques. It took me two months to get the speed bag and feel confident with the speed bag.”
Gyllenhaal disclosed that he had engaged in actual boxing matches with professional boxers during his training, but had to cease several weeks before filming commenced as he could not appear battered and bruised in every scene.
He further elaborated, stating, “They were allowed to hit my face, and they did, but for most of the training sessions, we focused on body sparring. Then we progressed to full-on sparring, but six weeks prior to filming, we had to concentrate on choreography, as we needed to choreograph all of the fights.”
Despite taking a few punches along the way, Gyllenhaal enjoyed the training process.
He concluded by stating that the most intriguing aspect of acting was learning from professionals in various fields, and gaining insights into their work and experiences. He also acknowledged that being hit was part of the job, and it was a learning experience for him. Gyllenhaal added, “In fact, there are several actors who should get hit, and I’m one of them. It was okay.”
Following his impressive appearance at UFC 285, Gyllenhaal seems to have taken on the lifestyle of an MMA fighter, similar to Tom Hardy’s preparation for his role as a prizefighter in the 2011 film “Warrior.” Whether he continues to train in the sport, similar to Hardy, who trained for 12 years after his initial experience in martial arts, remains to be seen.
Ahead of their highly anticipated heavyweight bout, Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane came face-to-face for the first time.
MMA enthusiasts have eagerly awaited the heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane, scheduled to take place at UFC 285 in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Fans were thrilled to see Jones move up in weight to challenge the former interim champion.
During the pre-fight press conference at the KA Theater at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Thursday night, the two competitors had the chance to size each other up. The heated exchange of verbal jabs between them was met with immense enthusiasm from the crowd.
Moments after the press conference ended, Jones approached Gane with an intense look of determination, causing UFC president Dana White to intervene and place the vacant title belt between them. However, Jones disregarded the strap and pushed it away in order to come face-to-face with Gane and engage in a powerful stare-down.
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