According to the article they settled out of court. I wonder what Hughes ended up paying the guy.
The last sentence was funny - if it's true it appears Hughes was perhaps being a bit of a dick:
Quote:
According to the source, Hughes obliged Leist's requests for him to tighten the choke "for realism" and forced Leist to tap out. Hughes then walked away, though Leist appeared to be nearly choked unconscious.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aleksander Emelianenko
I’m not a fighter that fought with fatties, with who knows who on some field or something.
Sounds like some cocksucker was out to scam money, which apparently he received out of court. That's too bad, I've never cared for Hughes' personality much but feel for him if he was just trying to do something cool for what he perceived as a fan. I hope that doesn't scare other fighters off from having fun with their fans and giving some good photo shots, but then much like everything else in life it only takes one douchebag to ruin it for everyone.
__________________ Fav Fighters;
Hughes. Stevenson. Franklin. A Silva. W Silva. R Couture.
Liddell. Cro Cop. Lesnar.
'Shogun' Rua. F Griffin. BJ Penn.
Big Nog. Henderson. Huerta. Guida.
Arlovski. N Marquardt.(No Order) WAR GRIFFIN! UFC LHW CHAMPION!!!! Least favorite;
Sylvia. GSP. Koscheck. Sherk. E Sanchez. Machida. Bisping. R Evans. F Shamrock. Serra. Kongo.
Every MMA fighter should take note of this odd case with former UFC welterweight champ Matt Hughes.
Hughes settled out of court last week on a case that dates back to the Friday before UFC 64 at Mandalay Bay. Jed Leist, a former police officer in Rockmart, Georgia, asked for a photo with Hughes during UFC's autograph session.
Mike Sloan of Sherdog.com tells the story:
An anonymous source in the fight community who was not an eyewitness to the incident told Sherdog.com that Leist approached Hughes and asked the wrestler to put him in a rear-naked choke for a photo.
According to the source, Hughes obliged Leist's requests for him to tighten the choke "for realism" and forced Leist to tap out. Hughes then walked away, though Leist appeared to be nearly choked unconscious.
Leist filed suit in Clark County District Court on March 28, 2007:
The suit contended Hughes and/or other unnamed defendants "grabbed and placed" Leist in a hold "as to cause injury and damage." Hughes' actions were "unwanted, not consented or authorized," by the plaintiff and inflicted "over his protests," stated the documents.
Prior to the dismissal, Leist was seeking damages in excess of $10,000 per each charge plus attorney's fees and additional expenses due to "severe humiliation, mental anguish and emotional distress."
The case was due in court on June 30, Hughes settled. It couldn't have been too big a blow to Hughes' bankroll since Leist sounds like a slimeball and is facing 20 years in a federal pen.
According to the Rome News-Tribune, Leist hid a felonious past in order to become a police officer. He also lied to the FBI:
For some time before Jedson Edward Leist applied to become a police officer, he and Sgt. Carey Higgins of the Rockmart police conspired about how to keep a background check from finding Leist’s felony convictions.
Leist is also accused of avoiding another background check, that done by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a gun is purchased.
He allegedly had his wife buy many firearms, some of which he used at RPD. In testimony it was revealed Arneth purchased “between 20 and 30” firearms, according to ATF records. When arrested Leist had three of those guns on his person and several more at home.
The case went to trial in November of 2007 and Leist was sentenced earlier this year on February 28th. This from the U.S. Department of Justice:
Wow! I don't even like Hughes much and I felt bad for him.
The douche bag deserves to go to prison for 20 years and IMHO they should haul his freakin' wife off to the slammer too. If there's one thing we don't need in this country, it's ex-felon lying wife beaters packing guns and wearing a badge.
What amazes the hell out of me is that this idiot and his doofus wife thought that they could get away with this scam. WTF were they smoking?
__________________ Fav Fighters;
Hughes. Stevenson. Franklin. A Silva. W Silva. R Couture.
Liddell. Cro Cop. Lesnar.
'Shogun' Rua. F Griffin. BJ Penn.
Big Nog. Henderson. Huerta. Guida.
Arlovski. N Marquardt.(No Order) WAR GRIFFIN! UFC LHW CHAMPION!!!! Least favorite;
Sylvia. GSP. Koscheck. Sherk. E Sanchez. Machida. Bisping. R Evans. F Shamrock. Serra. Kongo.
Hughes obliged Leist's requests for him to tighten the choke "for realism"
He asked for it.
Read.
__________________ Fav Fighters;
Hughes. Stevenson. Franklin. A Silva. W Silva. R Couture.
Liddell. Cro Cop. Lesnar.
'Shogun' Rua. F Griffin. BJ Penn.
Big Nog. Henderson. Huerta. Guida.
Arlovski. N Marquardt.(No Order) WAR GRIFFIN! UFC LHW CHAMPION!!!! Least favorite;
Sylvia. GSP. Koscheck. Sherk. E Sanchez. Machida. Bisping. R Evans. F Shamrock. Serra. Kongo.
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