The UFC fired a fighter on the day of his scheduled match-up after Bleacher Report revealed a past domestic violence conviction.
UFC Fight Night 38 featured Will Chope tangling with Diego Brandao in a featherweight fight tonight. But after the Bleacher Report story hit, revealing Chope had repeatedly assaulted his former wife allegedly over infidelity, child custody, and financial disputes, the UFC sent the mixed-martial artist back to the United States from Brazil. The incidents occurred during 2009 when Chope served as a teenage airman in Guam in the Air Force. The military branched discharged Chope after incarcerating him.
Diego Brandao, the Brazilian set to face Chope, received his fight pay and win bonus in spite of the cancellation. On December 28, after weighing in six pounds over the limit and allegedly threatening to stab his opponent in the neck in front of numerous people, Brandao lost to Dustin Poirier.
“My fight has been canceled for a 5 year old mistake I made,” Chope explained today. “I am truly sorry to all the fans and will do everything I can to make this right. I have spoken with my ex-wife on the phone and she supports what I am doing and together we will make a formal press release as soon as I get back to the USA on Wednesday.”
Chope came into the UFC on a thirteen-fight win streak before losing his debut. He boasts a 19-8 record, which doesn’t include his non-sanctioned inter-gender bouts.
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