Veteran MMA fighter Brian Bowles reached rarefied air in 2009 when he captured the WEC bantamweight title. Five years later, it seems he’s come all the way back down the mountain.
Bowles and an associate were reportedly arrested earlier in January in Bowles‘ Georgia home and charged with multiple drug offenses, including the possession of methamphetamine.
The report comes from, of all places, a Jan. 19 post on the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page (h/t Sherdog). The post stated that the actual arrest had been made Jan. 14 and read in part:
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Rhomney Marie Moon (35) of Jefferson, Georgia and Brian David Bowles (34) also of Jefferson, Georgia on drug related charges … Moon and Bowles were both arrested and transported to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Moon has been arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of a schedule IV drug, possession of schedule IV drug with intent to sell, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of tools for the commission of a crime and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Bowles is charged with the same. Both are currently incarcerated.
It appears Bowles and Moon are still locked up in jail and awaiting their next legal move, which to this reporter is entirely uncertain.
In 2009, Miguel Angel Torres was the unquestioned lord and master of MMA’s bantamweight contingent and was starting to creep up those pound-for-pound lists as well. Holding the WEC belt for a year-and-a-half—back when the WEC was the top of the mountain for lighter-weight fighters—was no small deal, nor was the 17-fight winning streak he had overall.
So when Bowles knocked him out in the first round of their title fight at WEC 42, it was a pretty juicy upset.
He went on to win other bouts, but none had the total impact on Bowles and his career arc that that one had.
Bowles last fought professionally in May 2013, losing the fight but also failing a drug screen because of excessive T/E ratios. Bowles was suspended for nine months because of the failure.
It was unclear whether or when Bowles (10-3) was planning to return to pro MMA. But with all this unevenness of late, it might not be looking good for him.
Safe to say Brian Bowles UFC career is done and dusted.2-2 record/busted for PED’s/inactivity and now drugs charges.. #ufc #mma
— MAC (@wado_mac) January 28, 2015
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