Welterweight Prospect Released From UFC After Domestic Violence Arrest
Undefeated welterweight Michael Graves’ time with the UFC is done.
Graves was on a two-fight win streak after having defeated both Randy Brown and Vicente Luque, before going to a Majority Draw against Bojan Velickovic at UFC 201 in July of last year. He was expected to take on Sergio Moraes at UFC Fight Night 100 this past November, however, Graves was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge in Atlanta in October and was removed from the card as a result.
After a private investigation conducted by the UFC, the promotion announced yesterday (Mon. April 18, 2017) that they have decided to cut ties with Graves:
“In November 2016, welterweight Michael Graves was removed from his UFC bout following his arrest. As a potential violation of the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy, the UFC organization temporarily barred Graves from competition pending the completion of a third-party investigation. Based on the findings of this thorough review and investigation, UFC has advised Graves that he has been released from his contract effective immediately,” UFC officials wrote in a statement.
“UFC requires all athletes to act in an ethical and responsible manner, as mandated by the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy. UFC holds its athletes to the highest standard and will continue to take appropriate action if and when warranted.”
Graves was a part of the The Ultimate Fighter Season 21 (TUF 21) cast, where he won one of his two fights on the show. He looked rather impressive inside the Octagon before his out-of-competition incident, and could have potentially been a stellar addition to the UFC’s top 15 welterweight rankings down the road.
It appears now the American Top Team (ATT) product will have to find a new home to partake in mixed martial arts (MMA) competition.
