Pietro Menga is planning to go to prison.
On Tuesday, the former UFC signatories were sentenced to 15 years and five months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to sell or transfer conspiracy to supply prohibited weapons and cocaine.
At one point, considered the top prospect of flyweights, Menga began his MMA career with 13 consecutive wins and won the UFC eye. The Manchester-based “Italian Stud” was planning a season 27 attempt The ultimate fighter I intervened in Fox 26 in 2017 as a featherweight before receiving a call to intervene with Tim Elliott at the UFC on Fox 26. Unfortunately, Menga was unable to gain weight and came at 131 pounds. Elliott refused to accept a catch-weight match, and the UFC released Menga, who lost the next four matches.
Menga was eventually set to return to the victory column in April 2023, then faced Kilsahota in an Octagon promotion in January 2024, but he was arrested after police executed a warrant at their home in Swinton, England on January 15th.
Menga has called the attention of serious organized crime groups at Manchester authorities after a series of messages via an encrypted messaging platform showed Menga openly communicated about the sale and purchase of drugs and firearms worth more than $500,000. Menga is believed to have been an intermediary for an organized crime group responsible for one of the UK’s biggest firearm trafficking conspiracies.