Chad Mendes
Authorities with the Hanford Police department in Hanford, California are on the lookout for former UFC featherweight contender Chad ‘Money’ Mendes (12-1) over his involvement in a “40-person drunken brawl that broke out at the Lacey Inn Bar on Saturday.”
According to the Hanford Sentinel an apparent intoxicated Mendes was asked to leave the bar parking lot by authorities as they were attempting to gain control of the situation, but instead of leaving Mendes cursed out the deputies and then ran back into the bar. Once inside he sucker punched a patron and then fled the scene. Police gave chase but were unable to catch ‘Money’ who has not re-appeared since that incident.
Officials said the melee grew to about 40 people before Hanford police and the county Gang Task Force arrived on the scene to break it up.
That’s when authorities recognized Mendes. He appeared to be intoxicated and began cursing at the deputies and officers, authorities said. They asked him to leave. Instead, he went back inside and struck one man who “never even saw him coming,” Assistant Sheriff Dave Putnam said.
Deputies chased Mendes along the railroad tracks behind the Lacey Inn Bar, but soon lost him in south Hanford. The area native has not been seen since.
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In the days since the brawl, the Sheriff’s Office has made repeated attempts to get a statement from Mendes. They have not been able to reach the Ultimate Fighting Championship contender.
“If we don’t speak with him by Monday, then we’ll request that the District Attorney’s Office file charges against him,” Putnam said. “Then we can pick him up on an arrest warrant.”
Mendes recently earned a 31-second knockout over Cody McKenzie last month at UFC 148. The win allowed Mendes to bounce back from his first career loss, suffering a first round knockout against UFC champ Jose Aldo last January at UFC 142.