Former UFC lightweight fighter Hermes Franca was convicted this week of sexually abusing an underage female student at a martial arts school and will serve more than three years in prison, according to OregonLive.
He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of unlawful penetration and one count of first-degree sexual abuse. In addition to his jail time, Franca will be required to register as a sex offender.
Franca was a UFC fighter from 2003 to 2009, and has a career MMA record of 22-11.
This is sad news for a MMA fighter who has potential to be very good but cannot stay out of trouble. Franca received a year-long suspension from competition after testing positive for a banned substance in 2007.
Franca fought Sean Sherk at UFC 73 for the lightweight title but was beaten in a unanimous decision in his most notable bout. For his career, he made 11 UFC appearances.
This also doesn’t look good for the UFC, who don’t need this kind of news when they are trying to grow their brand and even appeal to casual fans who really don’t understand what the UFC is about.
Photo taken from here.
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