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On Thursdays, Administrative Editor Jordan Breen welcomes a member of the mixed martial arts media into “Press Row” on the Sherdog.com blog. This week, Breen is joined by Sherdog and Combat Sports Law’s Erik Magraken.

A month ago, Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight contender Mark Hunt wrote an article for Players Voice entitled “If I Die Fighting, That’s Fine,” in which “The Super Samoan” admitted to several troubling early signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This week, the essay came to the attention of UFC officials, who pulled Hunt from his scheduled UFC Fight Night 121 main event in his home of Sydney, Australia.

Breen and Magraken dig into the situation, discussing whether or not the UFC has the legal authority to pull fighters on medical grounds, the role of athletic commissions in situations such as this, what makes Hunt’s case unique and whether or not the 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix champion’s fraught and litigious history with the promotion played a role in the UFC’s decision.

Grab your credential and get a seat in “Press Row.”

The above file can be saved in MP3 format here.

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