Raphael Davis isn’t the first public service employee to moonlight as a professional fighter, but if news reports out of Los Angeles are to be believed, he certainly went about his second career in a unique way.
According to multiple news outlets, the pro mixed martial artist was arrested on Tuesday and charged with four felony counts of insurance fraud. Why? Prosecutors say that he filed for worker’s compensation insurance between December 2008 and May 2011. So while he apparently claimed he was not healthy enough to work at his L.A. fire department job, his fight career was inexplicably reaching its peak with multiple appearances for Bellator and M-1 Global.
Davis, who was arrested at his home and being held on bail, could face up to five years in prison.
The 35-year-old has a 12-2 all-time record, with notable wins over Vinny Magalhaes, Emanuel Newton and Tony Lopez.
Even if prosecutors prove the charges and Davis is found guilty, the state comes off looking bad to some degree. That would mean that somehow, Davis managed to continue his MMA career undetected for 2 1/2 years while appearing multiple times on television during that span. He fought seven times during that period, going 6-1.
Davis wasn’t exactly trying to hide his fight career either. He has a Twitter page in which he describes himself as “Currently one of Bellator’s Light Heavyweight fighters,” and he’s done multiple interviews during that time.
District attorney’s office spokeswoman Jane Robinson declined to offer LA Weekly any added details on the case, including what condition necessitated his worker’s compensation claim.
Davis had not been scheduled to fight during Bellator’s current sixth season, but was still under contract to the promotion leading into it, taking part in a January trip to Universal Studios in Florida to shoot promotional photos and videos.