Roan Carneiro accepts responsibility for being late, fined $100
After having $15,000 of his $50,000 purse withheld pending a hearing, Roan Carneiro has accepted responsibilty for being late, and was fined just $100.
On October 3 at BattleGrounds MMA: O.N.E. one of the toughest traditions in combat sports history was revived – the eight man tournament. Roan “Jucao” Carneiro won three fights in one night, and won the $50,000 cash prize. However, the stack of bills he was handed amounted to $35,000, because $15,000 was withheld by the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission.
As Oklahoma AC Executive Director Joe Miller detailed, Carneiro had showed up over an hour late for a mandatory physical, and and by state regulations, 1/3 of his purse was withheld, pending a hearing.
While some members of the hardcore fanbase were upset with the regulators, no shows were a miserable problem in the early, unregulated days of the sport. With the advent of regulation, ACs fined and suspended fighters who didn’t show up, and the problem almost entirely disappeared. However, while fighters now show up, it doesn’t always happen on time, and regulators are demanding of professionals the same things required in any job – show up on time.
In good news, Carneiro has been fined just $100 on the recommendation of Miller. Rather than go through a formal hearing, the fighter acknowledged responsibility for violating the OSAC rules.
It’s a shame it was that large of a purse, but we had to stay with the system we normally do, said Miller to Steven Marrocco for MMAJunkie.
He admitted he was late and explained the situation. I went over the reasons why it’s important to be on time, that he left a lot of people hanging, not knowing where he’s at. He agreed and apologized.
Miller said he will consider changes to the rule dictating that 30% of the purse is withheld pending a hearing, and noted $50,000 paydays are not common in Oklahoma.
Carneiro hopes that the extraordinary showing will get another shot in the UFC, where he went 2-3 in 2007-2008 before being cut. And hopefully going forward fighters in the sport will be more mindful that there are consequences to being late without communication.