After a run of fighting opponents who have failed or gone on to fail doping tests, Mark Hunt is angry enough to sue the UFC.
But if that has created a chasm between him and everyone in the sport's head office, Jeff Novitzky hasn't read the memo.
The man who helped bring down Lance Armstrong, and is now vice president of athlete health and performance with the UFC, says he empathises with the Australian-based fighter.
"The first thing I can say is I completely get his frustration," Novitzky told AAP.
"I can't imagine how frustrating it would be in this sport to participate against somebody who is artificially enhanced."
New Zealander Hunt has been particularly vocal after his recent UFC fights against Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar were sullied by the pair later returning positive doping tests.
His win against Antonio Silva in 2013 was tarnished when it was revealed the Brazilian had doped, while he couldn't hide his frustration before this month's losing effort against Alistair Overeem - a man who was caught doping in 2012.
Prior to the Overeem fight Hunt unloaded on UFC management, including president Dana White, in Las Vegas.
"Dana doesn't give a s**t about me or any other fighter," Hunt said.
"None of these guys do. At the end of the day I'm just another number. When my time is up I'm going to be out the door."
But Novitzky points to removing star athlete Jon Jones from a card last year - because of what was then a potential doping violation - as testament to how seriously the UFC takes the issue.
"This anti-drug program is a multi-million dollar a year program that does nothing for the UFC bottom line and in the situation of Jones - being pulled from UFC 200 cost a lot of money, time and resources," Novitzky said.
"It is being done for one reason only... because (UFC preisdent) Dana White and the Fertittas (former UFC owners, brother Lorenzo and Frank) care about their athletes."
Novitzky knows a thing or two about doping.
He played a major role in bringing down the infamous California-based BALCO drug program in the 2000s and then as an agent of the US Food and Drug Administration helped to clean up cycling and out Armstrong as a cheat.
He took up the current role with the UFC two years ago.
Since then he has helped implement its anti-doping policy, working alongside the USA Anti-Doping Agency.
While the lawsuit between Hunt and the UFC is ongoing, Novitzky said that he would love to see the Kiwi have a long career in the Octagon.
That wish looks to have at least been partially granted, with Derrick Lewis announcing on Tuesday that he will face Hunt in Auckland on June 11.
"He is an exciting fighter," Novitsky said of Hunt.
"I mean he lost to Overeem but I was engrossed in that fight. It was two huge powerful guys in there and to me that's what UFC is all about. But I'd love to see Mark keep fighting.
"And I think this (lawsuit) will play its way out and we have an independent judicial party that is looking at all the facts but it will resolve itself 100 per cent."
