Successful Athletes Whose Careers Were Tainted By Violent Arrests

Darren - July 20, 2021

Successful Athletes Whose Careers Were Tainted By Violent Arrests

Darren - July 20, 2021

9. War Machine

Probably the most despicable person on this list, War Machine is a notorious figure in combat sports. We also use the term successful ‘loosely’ in this case. He fought for both the UFC and Bellator throughout his MMA career. While he didn’t come close to winning a title with either promotion, he did enough to attract the attention of porn star Christy Mack. The pair became a hot and heavy couple, but love wasn’t in the air.

In 2014, he brutally assaulted Mack and her male friend. He left her with 18 broken bones and multiple broken teeth amongst other serious injuries. This wasn’t the first time that he was violent. Police arrested him multiple times before because he assaulted people. He received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 24 years. He doesn’t expect to see the sun again.

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8. Duncan Ferguson

Ferguson currently serves as Everton’s assistant manager. A club icon, he spent two spells as a striker for the club before his move into coaching. Fans love the Glaswegian because of his tough exterior. He is one of the toughest men in soccer and suffered nine red cards throughout his career. But his most notorious moment came in 1994 when he assaulted an opponent on the field.

It’s rare that players receive criminal convictions for on-field brawls. But this was Ferguson’s third assault charge. Previously, he headbutted a police officer, so the law didn’t take too kindly to him. In sum, his volatile personality excites the fans but got him into a lot of trouble. Luckily, Ferguson mellowed with age and only spent three months in prison for his actions.

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7. Clifford Etienne

A former heavyweight contender, Etienne had a very distinctive style. He never won a major title but fought some of the best in the world including Mike Tyson. Fans loved him for his high-intensity style. Etienne’s problem was that his life was too intense outside of the ring. In 2005, he was the ringleader of a major robbery in Louisiana that did not go well.

After robbing a business, he hijacked a vehicle. The police came after him and he pulled a gun on an officer. He was lucky because they didn’t shoot him on the spot. In the end, they subdued him and a judge hit him with an extraordinary 105-year prison sentence. However, his violent actions merited the jail time because he did try to kill an active officer.

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6. James Tomkins

A longstanding Premier League defender, Tomkins plays for Crystal Palace. He came through the famous West Ham academy and became a consistent presence for the team. However, in 2014, he became embroiled in an incident in a nightclub. It turned violent and soon the police arrived at the scene. An officer moved in to deal with the situation but Tomkins was physical.

It’s not a good idea to put hands on a law enforcement member. Sometimes it’s very tempting but it’s only going to end one way. They arrested Tomkins and he had his day in court. In the end, the judge hit him with a fine and told him that the incident was a ‘blot on his character.’ It was disappointing because his record was clean until that point but everyone makes mistakes.

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5. Derek Chisora

Chisora is one of the most recognizable heavyweight boxers on the U.K. scene. However, the Londoner is also a volatile presence. Fans know him for his intensity and violent outbursts. He has spent a lot of time with the police because of his wild antics. Chisora assaulted his girlfriend in 2010 and the police came to the scene. But the boxer fought back and resisted arrest.

Meanwhile, he served 12 weeks in prison for assault. Chisora likes living on the edge but many fans despise him as a result. This is a man who spat at one Klitschko brother and slapped another. Furthermore, he brawled with David Haye at a media event. Chisora also bit the ear of another opponent in an imitation of Mike Tyson. In sum, there’s no doubt that ‘Del Boy’ is trouble wherever he goes.

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4. Greg Hardy

Hardy is one of the least popular fighters on the UFC roster. He fights in the heavyweight division but only because of some appalling life choices. Indeed, Hardy used to play in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys. But his career came to an abrupt end because of his violent behavior off the field. Hardy brutally assaulted his former girlfriend.

The story goes that he threw her onto a pile of guns and physically harmed her in other ways. A judge convicted Hardy for his savagery. The former football star expected to spend time in jail but that isn’t what happened. For some unknown reason, the victim dropped the charges and Hardy walked free. Then the UFC handed him a contract but few in MMA like him.

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3. Adam Jones

Nobody parties on a Tuesday night like “Pacman” Jones. The former Cincinnati Bengals star is his own worst enemy because he brings carnage everywhere he goes. At this point, he has probably spent more time in custody than on the playing field. His most profile moment of madness came in 2007 when he slammed a strip dancer’s head against the stage she was performing on.

This came after Jones made it rain with hundreds of one-dollar bills. Apparently it didn’t cross his mind that the dancers would want to keep the money. This infuriated him and he exploded in the most dramatic manner. The police arrested him for his violent protest. However, this is only one of the dozens of incidents he was involved in. In sum, Pacman can’t stay clean.

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2. Conor McGregor

McGregor is one of the most controversial athletes of the modern era. On the one hand, there is no doubting the UFC fighter’s talent. But he has done some crazy things and spent a lot of time on the wrong side of the law. Arguably his worst moment came in 2019. Irish police issued a summons after the former MMA champion punched an older man in a bar.

McGregor and his cronies passed shots of his Irish whiskey around the bar. When the man rejected his free drink, McGregor exchanged words with him. Whatever the older man said, it struck a chord with “The Ntorious”. That’s because McGregor stood up and sucker-punched him. It was an embarrassing moment for the fighter because he was about 20 years younger. He paid a fine for his violent action but could have spent six months in prison.

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1. Richard Sherman

NFL legend Sherman made a fool of himself in 2021. He tried to break into his in-law’s home after crashing his SUV. The former Seahawks CB also caused damage to their property. But that wasn’t the main reason why this story seized the imagination of football fans. No, it was because he resisted being arrested as though they planned to lock him up and throw away the key forever.

He fought the police in such a violent manner that they brought the canine unit to the scene. One of their dogs subdued the retired football star, giving him lacerations on his ankle and lower leg. In the end, the intoxicated Sherman felt ashamed of his actions. He issued a statement claiming remorse for the situation. Sherman still faces court for the arrest but there are now some extenuating factors that could result in the case being dropped.

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