Orange County holds a special place in the world of mixed martial arts.
It's home to several UFC stars and MMA clothing lines such as TapouT and Affliction in Seal Beach. But it's also where several famed combatants, such as former UFC Fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller, have made headlines for behaving badly.
Police say "Mayhem" Miller lived up to his name when he was on suspicion of breaking into and ransacking a church, setting off a fire extinguisher and falling asleep nude inside the church. Miller has trained at .
And he's not the only ultimate fighter to have run-ins with the law lately. Famed fighter and Huntington Beach resident Tito Ortiz was arrested for allegedly beating his girlfriend, adult film star Jenna Jameson. Additionally, there have been drug-related arrests, DUI busts and even a high-speed chase and deadly crash in Newport Beach.
Although mixed martial arts fighters are famed for their no-holds-barred fearlessness inside the octagon, is the "no rules" style of MMA provoking fighters to behave badly? Do you think there is something about MMA fighting that drives people to act out?
MMA Meltdowns and Arrests
- In 2008, Ultimate Fighting Championship combatant Quinton "Rampage" Jackson led police on a wild chase in a Ferrari through Newport Beach, hitting several cars along the way. According to The Orange County Register, he blamed the incident on symptoms of depression, telling the judge in his case, “I could have really hurt someone or hurt myself. I will never let something get me so down I would hurt myself or others."
- Former UFC Fighter Paul Kelly was arrested this year and charged with dealing drugs, according to MMA Mania.
- UFC light heavyweight champ Jon “Bones” Jones allegedly drove his Bentley into a pole before being arrested for a DUI, according to Big Lead Sports.
- UFC fighter Ross Pearson was arrested on suspicion of DUI in May in Vegas, according to TMZ.
- UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem was charged with battery after he allegedly shoved a woman in a Las Vegas casino this year, according to TWP News.
- Former UFC fighter Frank Trigg was arrested in Las Vegas in 2011 on suspicion of domestic violence after his wife accused him of beating and strangling her, according to MMA Weekly.
- MMA fighter Raphael Davis, “The Noodle,” was charged with fraud and accused of moonlighting as a fighter when he was on worker’s compensation as a firefighter in Los Angeles, according to Fox Sports.
