Former UFC middleweight contender, and prominent wrestling star, Mark Munoz has reportedly been placed on administrative leave from his job as a high school wrestling coach, after he allowed students to fight and box each other.
According to a report from TMZ Sports, Munoz, a native of Yokosuka, Japan – is alleged to have allowed two students at a facility he coaches wrestling at, to engage in a boxing match to settle differences at a playground in Anaheim, California.
Mark Munoz, who began coaching at the school back in September 2020, has since been placed on administrative leave, with a spokesperson confirming how he will not be allowed return to the school’s campus.
“(He) will not be returning to campus,” A spokesperson said regarding Mark Munoz – with the 44-year-old’s contract with the school set to expire at the close of this year.
Munoz, who is alleged to have allowed two students to fight and box each other on a playground, claimed that he was unaware of any sort of issue between the two students, who believed they were attempting to engage in friendly competition when they asked him to provide them with two pairs of boxing gloves. (H/T MMA Mania)
Mark Munoz retired from professional MMA back in May 2015
Retiring from professional mixed martial arts back in May 2015, Munoz most recently featured at UFC Fight Night Pasay in the Philippines back, securing a unanimous decision win against Luke Barnatt.
Ending his career with a 14-6 professional record, Munoz, a 2001 gold medalist at the NCAA Championships, also competed under the banner of the now-defunct, WEC – before joining the UFC in March 2009.
Suffering career defeats to Matt Hamill, Roan Carneiro, Gegard Mousasi, and former promotional champions, Lyoto Machida and Chris Weidman – Munoz landed Octagon wins over Tim Boetsch, Chris Leben, Demian Maia, C.B. Dollaway, Aaron Simpson, Kendall Grove, Ryan Jensen, and Nick Catone.