Since its inception, MMA has sat on the fringes of society. Just like the sport as a whole, the fighters have existed on the outskirts as well. While there are many competitors who are model citizens and great ambassadors of the sport, there are also plenty of individuals who placed cage fighting in a bad light with their awful decision-making outside the fight game.
With that in mind, here are 10 shocking crimes committed by MMA and UFC fighters you may know.
Joe Son
Joe Son is best remembered for his bit part as a henchman in Austin Powers. Diehard fight fans might recall him getting repeatedly groin-punched at UFC 4. He followed that with a brief and forgettable run in Pride. The California-bred South Korean was finished in all four of his MMA appearances.
After pleading guilty to a vandalism charge in 2008, Son was required to submit a DNA sample. That sample linked him to the 1990 kidnapping, beating, and rape of a then 19-year-old woman. What was originally a 17-year sentence was upgraded to 34 years to life after killing his cellmate.
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Phil Baroni
Phil Baroni was known for an entertaining but ultimately unsuccessful MMA career. The “New York Bad Ass” had fought in the UFC, Pride, Strikeforce, Bellator, EliteXC, and One Championship before a lone bout in BKFC.
In January of 2023, Baroni was arrested in Mexico for the murder of his girlfriend. According to multiple reports, he admitted forcefully throwing her in the shower during an argument causing her to hit her head. He is awaiting trial and facing 30-50 years in prison.
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War Machine
John Koppenhaver was a cast member of TUF 6 and made his official UFC debut with a knockout win in the finale. He legally changed his name to War Machine and had a decent post-UFC career with appearances in Bellator and Tachi Palace while moonlighting as an adult film actor.
In the summer of 2014, War Machine brutally attacked his ex-girlfriend, porn star Christy Mack, and a male companion. She was cut with a knife, raped, and severely beaten before managing to escape and alert authorities. Koppenhaver was apprehended a week later and ultimately sentenced to 36 years to life.
Hermes Franca
Hermes Franca was one of the more notable lightweight fighters of the mid-2000s. He grabbed wins over Nate Diaz, Spencer Fisher, and Caol Uno on his way to an unsuccessful title challenge at UFC 73.
Just a month before he was scheduled to fight for a regional title, Franca turned himself into the police on charges of sexually abusing a minor who trained at his school. He was sentenced to 42 months in prison, over four years of probation, and resumed his MMA career outside of the US upon his release.
Travis Fulton
As one of the most prolific veterans in the modern era of combat sports, Travis Fulton has had almost 400 sanctioned bouts in MMA and boxing. While the bulk of his experience came from local shows, he also competed in the UFC, WEC, and the IFL.
Less than two years after his final fight, Fulton was arrested for possessing child pornography and attempting to coerce a minor into creating more obscene content. Several months later he hung himself in his cell. Fulton was facing up to 70 years if convicted.
Josh Grispi
Josh Grispi stunned in the WEC with four consecutive finishes when the promotion shut its doors. He was expected to face Jose Aldo for the featherweight title in his UFC debut but instead faced Dustin Poirier when Aldo withdrew with an injury. Grispi lost by decision at UFC 125 and was released after losing his next three.
Less than two years after his UFC departure, Grispi was arrested for domestic abuse, assault charges, and firearm charges. The same day he made bail, the 19-fight veteran attacked his wife again and even sicced a dog on her. One officer described the scene as “the worst case of domestic abuse” he had ever seen. He was sentenced to over five years in prison.
Alexander Emelianenko
Best known for being the younger brother of one of MMA’s all-time greats, Alexander Emelianenko has a less prestigious resume. While he was able to pick up wins against notable heavyweights like James Thompson and Sergei Kharitonov, he failed to stand out apart from his familial ties.
In 20154, Emelianenko was convicted of forcefully drugging and raping his housekeeper. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison but was released in less than two years. He resumed his career afterwards with his last bout happening in 2021.
Jeremy Jackson
In the early 2000s, Jeremy Jackson got on fight fans’ radar as a rival of Nick Diaz. The pair shared a trilogy of fights and Jackson was one of only three men to finish Diaz. Other than that, he’s most known for being kicked off of TUF 4 for sneaking out of the house.
In 2011, Jackson pled guilty to multiple charges, including forcible rape, for attacking his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint. He was sentenced to 25 years to life.
Jon Jones
Along with being arguably the best fighter in MMA history, Jon Jones has also consistently been one of the most controversial. He has amassed a wrap sheet with domestic violence, DUIs, and negligent use of a firearm. However, his most infamous run-in with the law occurred less than a month before he was scheduled to defend the UFC light heavyweight title against Anthony Johnson.
On an early April morning in 2015, Jones ran a red light and crashed into another vehicle injuring a pregnant woman. Jones fled on foot only to return to retrieve cash from his car. An arrest warrant was issued, and he turned himself in that evening. Jones was sentenced to supervised probation and was stripped of the title.
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Jarrod Wyatt
Out of all of the sordid MMA crimes, very few can compete with that of Jarrod Wyatt. Before he could make an impact on the scene with quick knockout wins in his only two fights, the then 26-year-old committed an unbelievably gruesome crime.
In 2010, Wyatt consumed psychedelic mushrooms and believed the devil was inside of friend and training partner Taylor Powell. Wyatt mutilated Powell and cooked his heart on a stove. He unsuccessfully tried to plead not guilty by way of insanity. He later accepted a plea deal that sent him to prison for 50 years.
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