Sensational lawsuits against UFC fighters: real examples of how litigation has affected athletes’ careers.
It is no secret to anyone that even a petty violation of the law, brought to trial, can significantly affect the fate of a person. In particular, this applies to famous people, such as actors, musicians, politicians, and athletes. The latter category most often appears in lawsuits, especially concerning MMA (UFC) fighters. The specialties of this sport may adversely affect the psychological state. So, some fighters are far from always able to restrain their emotions outside sports matches.
Here is a review of some most sensational lawsuits against UFC fighters that happened over the last decades. It shows how litigation has affected athletes’ careers, and what conclusions the athletes came to after these lawsuits. As the examples, we’ll consider the cases of Yoel Romero, Conor McGregor, and Joe Son. Their lawsuits have become illustrative examples of how important self-control is to getting out of the most difficult situations.
Yoel Romero: Restored Reputation and Decent Compensation
In 2015, MMA fighter Yoel Romero from Cuba won the UFC 194 Championship, but four days later he was accused of violating an anti-doping policy. Further tests confirmed the presence of ibutamorene (strong stimulant of growth hormone secretion) in the body of Romero. The fighter sued the sports nutrition company Gold Star Performance Products. Nevertheless, after four years Romero achieved justice thanks to his perseverance and support of the official sponsor. Compensation in favor of the fighter was $ 27.5 million, and the period of disqualification was also reduced.
Conor McGregor: Emotions Need to be Restrained
Famous Irish UFC fighter Conor McGregor was immediately accused of 12 points for a hooligan trick in Brooklyn in 2018. The charges against him concerned the incident, when McGregor threw a cart on a bus with his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. During the attack, as it was seen in online broadcasts, two fighters were injured, as a result of which they had to refuse to participate in the planned matches.
Conor’s important willful decision was an official public confession of his guilt. This helped him to avoid serious punishment and get off with five days of correctional labor. Moreover, his statement was translated by various channels all around the world in multi-language version. This helped the fighter maintain his reputation, and $1 million contract with his official sponso — famous online bookmaker. If it is necessary, you can find everything about Parimatch, including Conor’s mission as ambassador.
Joe Son: Still Waters Run Deep
The story of Joe Son from South Korea is perhaps the saddest story related to lawsuits with UFC fighters’ participation. His sports career was not long and not as bright as that of previous fighters. Nevertheless, Joe managed to work as a manager and star in a number of famous movies. In wide circles, he was known as a fairly disciplined person with a restrained character. However, the situation changed dramatically in 2008, when he was imprisoned for 60 days for vandalism.
Everything would have gone quickly and imperceptibly if the athlete’s DNA analysis was not required for the trial. It happened that his DNA sample was linked to a gang rape in 1990. After more detailed investigations, it turned out that Joe was involved in several other brutal crimes. As a result, a strict court accused him of rape, torture, and the murder of a cellmate. Finally, in 2017, Joe Son was sentenced to 27 years in solitary confinement without the right to parole.
The conclusion from this review is as follows: Even the fighters of such a tough and sometimes cruel sport, which is MMA, should stay human outside the ring. If the mistake (in our case, we are talking about a crime) is already committed, it is never too late to fix it. This is where true fortitude lies — these fighters are respected the most.
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