New Zealander Mark Hunt tells Novitzky ‘you’re a sellout, bro’ after the famed anti-doping crusader makes it a full-time job to defend steroid users in the UFC.
Mark “Super Samoan” Hunt, a mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete who most recently competed in the heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC) promotion, has continued his attacks on UFC’s disingenuous approach to anti-doping. He specifically attacked the credibility of the Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky.
Hunt called Novitzky a “sellout” who traded his reputation as a staunch anti-doping crusader for a lucrative UFC contract as an executive. Novitzky sold his principles for the big money offered by UFC President Dana White. Rather than fight against doping in UFC, Novitzky is more concerned with protecting the value of the UFC brand.
“They’ve actually taken my love for fighting away because of how they promote steroids and cheaters, how they’ve done it all…,” Hunt said. “It’s kind of sad because they should be promoting the guy that’s not cheating whereas they are promoting the cheaters of this sport, which is wrong. I actually thought Jeff Novitzky was a nice person but he’s just a sellout. ‘You’re a sellout, bro. That’s the bottom line.’”
Jeff Novitzky has revealed himself to be a hypocrite who bends his principles according to the people who are paying him.
Hunt is one of the few people in MMA who is willing to call out Novitzky for what he is. Novitzky may have once been a respected anti-doping crusader. But he has turned out to be just another unprincipled hired gun who adjusts his attitudes and behavior according to those who are paying him the most money.
Novitzky established his reputation as a dogged government investigator pursuing celebrity professional athletes suspected of using anabolic steroids and other doping products.
Novitzky was the primary investigator who pursued Victor Conte and Barry Bonds during the BALCO steroid scandal in baseball. Novitzky also pursued pitcher Roger Clemens. And just prior to joining the UFC, Novitzky topped off his anti-doping credential by helping bring down cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Novitzky worked closely with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and USADA President Travis Tygart to share information about the government investigations into Bonds, Clemens and Armstrong. Novitzky and Tygart seem to have become close friends over the years.
But ever since Novitzky became a UFC executive, he has only been interested in protecting the UFC brand and its athletes. Novitzky went out of his way to defend UFC athletes like Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones no matter what steroids and prohibited substances they were using.
The entire world knows that Novitzky is a sellout but Hunt is one of the few people with the courage to say it publicly.
Mark Hunt rips the UFC and ‘sellout’ Jeff Novitzky for taking away his love of fighting https://t.co/uPECgin6Vw pic.twitter.com/wodXwcikuD
— Jed Meshew II (@JedKMeshew) January 7, 2019