Mixed Martial Arts Law Blog : Mixed Martial Arts Lawyer & Attorney : David Nelmark : Belin Lamson McCormick Zumbach Flynn Law Firm : Intellectual Property, Media Law : Des Moines, Iowa

We thought we'd have to wait until UFC 104 on October 24th to see new footage of a Josh Neer fight, but authorities just released the video of Neer's arrest that followed his alcohol-induced high speed chase on New Year's Eve.    Although Neer received a suspended sentence back in April, the footage remains relevant because Neer is contemplating a lawsuit for police brutality.

"The Dentist's" thinking was clearly not rational that night, but the police report stating that force was necessary to prevent Neer from biting and head butting officers does not seem to match the video clip of Neer leaving the car with his hands held high over his head.  Besides, head butting is currently banned in the UFC and biting wasn't even legal in UFC 1. 

While I'm not above cracking wise on this situation, it is troubling... on both sides. We've come a long way since Rodney King (who, young MMALB.com readers, was famous for his own arrest video 18 years ago, ultimately resulting in his own recent connection to combat sports) and any situation that is even arguably excessive force brings bad some bad memories.  Neer certainly shares some blame here as well, having put lives at risk on the road and putting the officers in a situation where they could not have known what to expect.

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I was at a local MaxFightsDM event Friday night** when one of my guests, a first time MMA-goer, asked me if a lot of fighters had criminal records. I wish I could have told her it wasn't the case. 

I believe that many, probably even most, mma-practitioners have never seen the inside of a squad card.  Unfortunately, in the past 12 months it seems as if all the time fighters spend in the cage has made a number of them feel equally at home behind bars.

It started with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson playing bumper cars in California.  Not to be outdone, Josh "The Dentist" Neer rang in the New Year by racing the police through my hometown. 

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised when fighters nicknamed "War Machine" or "Rumble" get arrested, but it's disappointing when police end up having to go after someone with a moniker as innocuous as "The Snowman."  I sincerely hope that one of my favorite fighters, Kevin "The Fire" Burns, does not one day get nabbed for arson. (Fortunately, having met Kevin, I can tell you it's highly unlikely.)

The rash of battles with the law isn't limited to those currently in the big leagues either.  It extends from those in the earliest days of the UFC to the newcomers.  Just last night a fighter in North Dakota was arrested after making his professional MMA debut. 

This is not good for a sport trying to shed its reputation as "a bunch of thugs."   For the sake of everyone in the industry, fighters need to clean up their acts.  At a minimum, they need to stop getting arrested for assaulting reporters.  That cannot be good for media relations.   

Fortunately, the year has not brought all bad news. Earlier this year UFC fighter Antoni Hardonk broke up a mugging.  Still, we've got a long way to go to gain acceptance with the mainstream.  The L.A. Times covered the Rampage saga with gusto, but sadly didn't even mention the crime fighting efforts of Hardonk in its own backyard. 

**(PureFight has video; look for the move(s) of the night -- vicious double slams -- at the :32 and :45 marks)

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I guest authored a piece about the Intellectual Propery provisions in the standard UFC agreement that is currently the lead article on MMAPayout.com.  A direct link is available here.

MMAJunkie.com has also picked up my post on Josh Neer.  They have added some details (including a quote from Neer's manager) in this article.

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Josh Neer has been sentenced for his New Year's Eve escapades.  (See MMAJunkie if you don't recall the specifics.)

Neer pled guilty to OWI (second offense) and Eluding or Attempting to Elude a Police Vehicle. Polk County Iowa District Judge Douglas F. Staskal sentenced Neer to 2 years imprisonment on the first count and 5 years imprisonment on the second count, but the sentence was suspended.  If Neer fulfills the terms of his probation, he will not have to go to prison. 

Fans of "The Dentist" got additional good news in that Neer is allowed to leave Iowa  for job-related events including fights, training, and promotional appearances.  This should allow Neer's fight with Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino to go forward. 

Neer's fight with Pellegrino is currently slated to appear on the televised Pay Per View portion of UFC 101 on August 8, 2009.  As discussed at MMAFrenzy, the fight was originally supposed to headline Ultimate Fight Night 19 but was moved when that event was postponed to September 16, 2009.   UFN 19 will serve as the lead-in to the hotly anticipated season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter 10,  featuring Kimbo Slice and Roy Nelson.  Although UFN 19 and TUF 10 should do huge ratings, Neer is likely quite pleased just to be able to fight out of state.

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