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I'm watching this video by Napoleon Blownapart about how shitty Power Slap is and was astonished to discover that Homer Moore (a dude I remember watching fight, but didn't know anything about) had some deep gang connections and spent 2 years in prison for killing a 19-year-old in a drug deal. After the conviction was overturned (possibly lack of evidence, I don't remember what the video said) and he was released, he confessed to our very own Joe Riggs that he actually killed the teen. Riggs went to the cops, trying to get justice.
The video is time-stamped, Riggs pops up at 15:55.
I shouldn't be surprised that people in a violent sport are violent people in real life, too, but it's a reality that I keep forgetting. When I was in boxing, there were always a few guys in the boxing gym that were deep into gangs and you were advised to stay on their good side, but I've never had that happen in a MMA or BJJ.
Pride collapsed due to its Yakuza connections and the Fertitas were a mob family that famously used their influence in Nevada to get some pesky rules changed after they bought the UFC.
I've read news stories in MMA media about fighters working as goons for the mob; these generally come from regions in or around Russia, but I have vague memories of a few from North America.
I'm just realizing that when I hear speculation about worked or thrown fights in the UFC, it never has to do with the mob. It has to do with the UFC itself (or Conor) rigging fights for their own interests. If there IS a mob presence in American MMA, it is absolutely whitewashed from the headlines.
Like I said, the Yakuza were deep in Pride, the Fertitas were a mob family, and I've heard rumours about Chatri in ONE. I've never heard rumours from any orgs Scott Coker ran.
How big is the criminal element in MMA? The mob famously controlled old school boxing and promoters were just as bad for rigging fights. I expect it to be present wherever there's big money to be made, but I never hear about it in MMA.
The video is time-stamped, Riggs pops up at 15:55.
I shouldn't be surprised that people in a violent sport are violent people in real life, too, but it's a reality that I keep forgetting. When I was in boxing, there were always a few guys in the boxing gym that were deep into gangs and you were advised to stay on their good side, but I've never had that happen in a MMA or BJJ.
Pride collapsed due to its Yakuza connections and the Fertitas were a mob family that famously used their influence in Nevada to get some pesky rules changed after they bought the UFC.
I've read news stories in MMA media about fighters working as goons for the mob; these generally come from regions in or around Russia, but I have vague memories of a few from North America.
I'm just realizing that when I hear speculation about worked or thrown fights in the UFC, it never has to do with the mob. It has to do with the UFC itself (or Conor) rigging fights for their own interests. If there IS a mob presence in American MMA, it is absolutely whitewashed from the headlines.
Like I said, the Yakuza were deep in Pride, the Fertitas were a mob family, and I've heard rumours about Chatri in ONE. I've never heard rumours from any orgs Scott Coker ran.
How big is the criminal element in MMA? The mob famously controlled old school boxing and promoters were just as bad for rigging fights. I expect it to be present wherever there's big money to be made, but I never hear about it in MMA.
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