Mark Hunt: I had to accept Alistair Overeem fight rather than ‘let my family starve’

For the past six months, Mark Hunt has been battling with the UFC in an attempt to add a protective clause to his contract.

‘Super Samoan’, a combat sports veteran of 19 years, wants to receive his opponent’s full purse should they test positive for PEDs. Hunt was outraged when his UFC 200 opponent Brock Lesnar failed two drug tests but still made more money than all of the other fighters on the card.

Lesnar, a former UFC heavyweight champion, tested positive for the anti-estrogen agent Hydroxy-clomiphene and his win over Hunt was overturned to a No Contest. The 39-year-old was also suspended one year by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and received a $250,000 fine by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Although Hunt is still not happy with his contract, the New Zealand-born fighter feels like he had no choice but to accept a fight with Alistair Overeem at UFC 209.

"Think it from my position, I had no other option,” Hunt told NZ news outlet ‘Stuff’ on Thursday. “I can't work anywhere else so what am I supposed to do — let my family starve?”

Overeem, who beat Hunt under the DREAM banner in 2008, failed a drug test in 2012 for elevated levels of testosterone. Since then, when it was revealed that he had a 14-to-1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) ratio, ‘The Demolition Man’ has tested clean.

Two of Hunt’s former UFC opponents, Frank Mir and Antonio ‘BigFoot’ Silva, also failed drug tests and the ex-K-1 world champ feels like they are getting off lightly.

"They (dopers) should be struck from the records and taken everything off them,” Hunt said. “They don't deserve to get a cent. This sport is already harsh enough as it is. When you add in steroid use it makes it even worse.

The 42-year-old reportedly turned down a rematch with Junior dos Santos last month and says that he has missed out on making around 2 million dollars.

“In six months I've already missed out on a couple of fights, I've already missed out on a couple million dollars," Hunt said. … ”At the end of the day I've stuck to my word. I've got no option, I'm in a contract that I can't get out of.

"All the doors I've gone through are closed and it's not like I can go and work somewhere else. Ages ago I was gladly ready to walk away and work somewhere else but they wouldn't allow it.”

Hunt will look to avenge his loss to Overeem at UFC 209, which takes place on March 4th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.