Pietro Menga, a former fighter once signed to the UFC, has been handed a substantial prison sentence. On Tuesday, Greater Manchester Police confirmed that Menga was sentenced to 15 years and 5 months behind bars. This follows his guilty pleas to serious charges, specifically conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons and conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Menga began his mixed martial arts career with an impressive undefeated record of 13-0, earning him recognition as a potential top flyweight and catching the eye of the UFC. The Manchester-based fighter, nicknamed “The Italian Stallion,” was initially expected to participate in a tryout for season 27 of *The Ultimate Fighter* at featherweight. However, he later received a call to step in on short notice for a fight against Tim Elliott at UFC on FOX 26 in 2017. His debut did not go as planned; Menga failed to make the flyweight limit, weighing in at 131 pounds. Tim Elliott declined to proceed with a catchweight bout, resulting in Menga`s release from the promotion. Following his UFC departure, Menga went on to lose his subsequent four fights.
After a string of losses, Menga returned to winning ways in April 2023. He was then scheduled for a bout against Kiru Sahota under the OKTAGON promotion banner in January 2024. However, his plans were cut short when he was arrested on January 15th after police executed a warrant at his residence in Swinton, England.
Menga`s activities came under the scrutiny of the Serious Organized Crime Group within Manchester authorities. An investigation revealed messages exchanged on an encrypted messaging platform, where Menga was found to be openly discussing the trading of drugs and firearms. The value of the discussed transactions reportedly exceeded $500,000. Investigators believe Menga played a role as an intermediary for an organized crime network reportedly responsible for one of the largest conspiracies involving firearm trafficking in the United Kingdom.
