The Ohio Athletic Commission announced they will begin an investigation into Brandon Saling, a fighter who stepped in on short notice to fight Roger Bowling at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey.
Scott Coker made the announcement at the post-event press conference. Per MMAJunkie.com:
“They’re going to launch a full investigation on Monday,” he said. “So that’s where that’s at. As far as you guys know, the policy for Strikeforce and the UFC is that kind of body art, offensive behavior, (and) offensive art is not going to be allowed.”
The offensive qualities in question are links to a Neo-Nazi culture. Saling has an “88” tattooed with two lightning bolts that symbolized the Schutzstaffel, also known as the SS. The SS was a paramilitary force under the command of Heinrich Himmler and was responsible for many of the horrific crimes of the Holocaust.
Saling, who recently renewed his MMA license, could potentially have it be suspended due to his possible connections with Neo-Nazism.
In an epic face-palm moment, Coker let it be known that he (and Strikeforce) had no prior knowledge of Saling’s personal choices.
“We had no knowledge about that until someone brought it up to us this evening,” Coker said of Saling’s background. “It came to our attention during the course of the fights.”
Do the people at Strikeforce and Showtime not believe in background checks?
Although Saling’s personal choices are not confirmed at the moment and all of this could be a big misunderstanding, what is confirmed is his legal history.
Last night, rumors began to circle about Saling’s past, and Brent Brookhouse was able to collect the legal background about Saling’s storied history via The Daily Jeffersonian.
Two Noble County men are facing first-degree felony rape charges following an investigation by the Noble County Sheriff’s Office into the weekend disappearance of a 12-year-old girl and her 13-year-old sister.
According to Noble County Sheriff Landon T. Smith, the girls’ parents had allowed them to go to an all-night birthday party at a friend’s house in Monroe County last Friday. According to reports, the girls left the party with the suspects.
Brandon C. Saling, 18, Summerfield, and James T. Allen, 18, Sarahsville were each charged with rape of a person under 13 years old, a first-degree felony.
Saling was later indicted on felony charges.
Brandon C. Saling, 18, of 24536 Route 146, Summerfield, was indicted on one count of engaging in unlawful sexual conduct, a first-degree felony. Saling was indicted in connection with an alleged rape of a person under 13 on Oct. 8.
Saling’s lovely history with the law didn’t end there, either. In 2008, he was charged with domestic violence and served 40 days in jail.
This has the potential to be a major blunder on the part of Strikeforce for putting Saling on their show, but even more so, it could be a black eye for the entire sport as well.
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