Pietro Menga goes to jail.
On Tuesday, per the Greater Manchester Police, the previous UFC signee obtained a 15 12 months and 5 month jail sentence after he plead responsible to conspiracy to promote or switch prohibited weapons and conspiracy to produce cocaine.
At one level thought of to be a prime flyweight prospect, Menga started his MMA profession with 13 consecutive wins, catching the eyes of the UFC. Primarily based in Manchester, “The Italian Stallion” was planning to tryout for season 27 of The Ultimate Fighter as a featherweight earlier than receiving a name to step in as a short-notice alternative towards Tim Elliott at UFC on FOX 26 again in 2017. Sadly, Menga did not make weight, coming in at 131 kilos. Elliott refused to simply accept a catchweight bout and the UFC released Menga, who then misplaced his subsequent 4 bouts.
Menga lastly acquired again within the win column in April of 2023, and was then scheduled to face Kiru Sahota within the OKTAGON promotion in January of 2024, nonetheless, he was arrested on Jan. 15 after police executed a warrant on his house in Swinton, England.
Menga got here to the eye of Manchester authorities Severe Organized Crime Group after a collection of messages over an encrypted messaging platform confirmed Menga speaking brazenly in regards to the sale and buy of medication and firearms, value over $500,000. Menga is believed to have been a intermediary for an organized crime group accountable for one of the largest firearm trafficking conspiracies in the United Kingdom.
