Some sad news in the MMA world today. Former lightweight title contender Hermes Franca was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for sexually abusing a minor at his MMA school in Oregon.
From The Oregonian:
A former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title contender has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after being convicted this week of sexually abusing an underage female student at his Clackamas martial arts school.
Hermes Franca Barros, 37, pleaded guilty in Clackamas County Court on Wednesday to one count of unlawful penetration and one count of first-degree sexual abuse. He was sentenced to 3½ years in prison.
He was arraigned in May on seven counts of first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of second-degree unlawful sexual penetration. The remaining counts were dismissed.
Barros will also have four and a half years of post-prison supervision and must register as a sex offender.
Even though he hasn’t fought for the UFC in two years, his name being tied to the promotion is surely something they’d rather do without. It’s a sad story for everyone involved, and will very likely mean that he’s going to be blacklisted from even the small promotions he was fighting for once he gets out of prison, if he ever plans on fighting again at all.
