Tag: Kasheem Peterson

The MMA Chain Gang: A Depressing Review of 2011?s Criminal Activities

 

Most ‘crimes’ in MMA take the form of inept judging and flagrant rule breaking, but this past year many professional fighters were caught up in activities that landed them inside of a very different sort of cage. Get ready for a trip down memory lane in our most depressing “booking roundup” of the year. Here’s your run down of 2011’s biggest arrests, convictions, acquittals, and sentencings.

 

Most ‘crimes’ in MMA take the form of inept judging and flagrant rule breaking, but this past year many professional fighters were caught up in activities that landed them inside of a very different sort of cage. Get ready for a trip down memory lane in our most depressing “booking roundup” of the year. Here’s your run down of 2011’s biggest arrests, convictions, acquittals, and sentencings.

Random Assaults

Ben Fodor (aka“Phoenix Jones”)

Elements of the Crime: You almost get the feeling that some of the fighters on this list go looking for trouble. In the case of Ben Fodor, that’s entirely accurate. The brother of Strikeforce fighter Caros Fodor, Ben has only had one professional fight, preferring instead to wage his battles on the mean streets of Seattle under the moniker “Phoenix Jones”. The would-be super hero tried to break up a street fight earlier this year by dosing the parties with pepper spray. In addition to enraging the “bad guys”, Fodor’s actions caught the attention of local authorities. It turns out that when you pepper spray a crowd you’re committing a crime, unless you have a written note from Commissioner Gordon.

The Charges: Assault

The Sentence: Though Fodor was summoned to court, no charges were filed.

Career Fallout: Well, a fighting career isn’t really his focus. His crime-fighting career, however, may have taken a hit. Jones’s ‘super-secret’ identity was revealed as a function of the court process. Now anyone he’s ever loved is at risk.

 

Ricco Rodriguez

Elements of the Crime: When Ricco Rodriguez wants to party, Ricco Rodriguez wants to party. It’s caused him plenty of trouble in his life, from becoming the first UFC fighter suspended for coke abuse to a little incident where he dragged his not-quite-yet-dead girlfriend’s body behind the wheel of his wrecked car. After an appearance on “Celebrity Rehab”, things were looking up for the former champ, but then he short changed a cab driver after being dropped off a bar and slammed the cabbie to the ground when he called the authorities. Unfortunately “Suave” hadn’t calmed down by the time the cops arrived; as they tried to place him under arrest, he shoved one of them into the wall.

The Charges: Assault and resisting arrest

The Sentence: N/A

Career Fallout: None. In fact, after the incident he picked up his twelfth win and competed in Bellator where Seth Petruzelli put him into the sort of delirious state he’d normally lie, cheat, or steal for.

 

Hong Man Choi

Brock Lesnar Hong Man Choi K-1 Dynamite USA

Elements of the Crime: Compared to most of the drunken women that fell prey to MMA fighters this year, Hong Man Choi’s victim got off pretty easy. The 20 year old refused to pay what she considered to be an inflated tab after having drinks at the K1 & MMA fighter’s pub in Gwangjin, Korea. Choi was said to have punched the woman after she cursed at him during their brief argument. The 7’2” giant admitted to pushing the woman aside after she had struck him, but no more.

The Charges: Assault, Scaring small children

The Sentence: Both parties were able to reach a private settlement in the matter. Choi did not face any legal action.

Career Fallout: If fighting Jose Canseco doesn’t kill your career, nothing can, bruh.

 

Junie Browning

Elements of the Crime: Attention whore Junie Browning came correct with a dramatic, last minute entry to our rap-sheet wrap-up. The aptly-named “Lunatik” took a break from training in Phuket, Thailand to have a few drinks with friends at a local watering hole. Trouble must have a passport, because it promptly tracked Junie down and a massive bar, street, and hospital brawl ensued. What exactly prompted the melee and who was the aggressor is a matter of whose story you believe. It’s your classic case of “drunken-insane-MMA-washout-said/drunken-bar-owner-potential-plane-bomber-said. What we do know is that Browning went into hiding, either from authorities or the Thai mafia. More details poured in, but they hardly shed light on the matter.

The Charges: Multiple assault charges

The Sentence: In the midst of a massive manhunt, Junie turned himself in to authorities, who opted to work with both parties to find a resolution to the squab rather than press criminal charges. Thus far those efforts have proven fruitless.

Career Fallout: Junie only fought once in 2011, picking up his fourth straight loss on a regional card in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While this recent legal dust-up won’t endear him to any big league promoters, neither will his fighting.

Kasheem Peterson Acquitted of Rape Charges, Still Held on Immigration Technicality Due to Past Criminal Record

Former Team Tompkins fighter Kasheem “The Dream” Peterson was acquitted by a London, Ontario jury Tuesday of all charges against him stemming from an April sexual assault arrest in the city where he was staying for the month to help his then-coach Shawn Tompkins prepare Mark Hominick for his UFC 129 bout with Jose Aldo.

As the verdict was read out, Peterson, who had sat stone-faced throughout the trial nodded to the jury.

Former Team Tompkins fighter Kasheem “The Dream” Peterson was acquitted by a London, Ontario jury Tuesday of all charges against him stemming from an April sexual assault arrest in the city where he was staying for the month to help his then-coach Shawn Tompkins prepare Mark Hominick for his UFC 129 bout with Jose Aldo.

As the verdict was read out, Peterson, who had sat stone-faced throughout the trial nodded to the jury.

According to court records, it is alleged that Peterson and his accuser met at a local club and that both remained in the bar after closing where they snorted cocaine in the women’s bathroom. The alleged victim maintained that she felt uneasy around the fighter, but gave him a ride home anyway when he asked her to. Peterson contended she had made advances at him all night and that she drove him home with the intention of having sex, but wouldn’t go inside the house because she didn’t want any of the other fighters to see her there, so they drove to a parking lot where they could have more privacy. The victim stated that Peterson accused her of erratic driving because of the drugs and alcohol in her system and he grabbed the wheel and steered her vehicle into an abandoned lot. It was there that she claims he forced himself on her and wrestled with her in her SUV and choked her with a seatbelt while he sexually assaulted her. She testified that she got so fed up with his persistence that she threw her hands up in the air and told him to do whatever he wanted to her and to let her know when he was done.

Peterson was charged with sexual assault, choking and forcible confinement and has been in jail for the past eight months awaiting trial. When news of the charges broke, Tompkins condemned Peterson’s actions and dropped him from the team.

Part of the defense’s case hinged on the agreed upon fact that Peterson had sexual dysfunction issues that night and could not actually have intercourse as a result. His lawyer said that for a macho fighter like “The Dream” to admit such an embarrassing fact, he must be telling the truth about the rest of the story. The victim waited until mid-afternoon to go to police and hospital where she was treated for a cut on her finger and bruising on her arms and neck. Doctors did not find any trauma that would indicate that she was sexually assaulted.

The 29-year-old 4-1-1 welterweight who lives in Las Vegas and trains out of TapouT Training Center, will have another hearing with immigration in Windsor before being allowed to return back to the U.S. His court case cast a new light on a past criminal record that is rumored to be related to drug trafficking, and as a result the Canadian government may revoke his traveling rights to The Great White North.

“He’d been allowed into Canada on at least two or three previous occasions with no problem,” Peterson’s lawyer Brian Chambers told the London Free Press yesterday.”When these charges arose, Immigration took a different stance.”

Chambers expects that the immigration issue will be cleared up in two to three weeks, meaning in spite of the fact that he is technically a free man, Peterson will spend the holidays behind bars.