(Sean Pierson VS Matt Riddle at UFC 124)

34 year old UFC Middleweight fighter Sean Pierson (11-4-0), debuted at UFC 124 against Matt Riddle, subbing in as a replacement for the injured T.J. Waldburger.  Pierson was coming into this fight as an uknown fighter who had just recently been signed to the UFC as of November of this year.  With that said, Pierson had nothing to lose and showed it by dominating Riddle to a Unanimous Decision.  Even UFC President Dana White said that he would have chosen the bout to be crowned “Fight of the Night” had the fans not chosen Josh Koscheck versus George St. Pierre.  After the fight Pierson had plenty of reasons to celebrate, including his new job as a Toronto Police officer, or so he thought.

When Pierson returned home to Toronto for his first shift as a police officer he was told to turn in his badge.  A shocking turn of events for Pierson that turned his world upside down.  He was told to pick between MMA and being a police officer on the grounds that he did not verify his secondary employment with the police department.

Pierson Told the Toronto Star, “I’ve been told I have to pick a dream,” he said. “I’m being asked do I want to fight or do I want to be a police officer?”

An unfair decision to have to make after training and studying for four years to become a police officer. The question now becomes whether or not the Toronto Police Department are just simply following strict guidlelines, or discriminating Pierson because of the ugly image that most people hold about MMA.  If the reason was the latter of the two, Pierson would be the first to not be allowed to fight in the UFC because he is a police officer.  Mike Russow (13-1-1), a UFC Heavyweight fighter who recently defeated one of the top Heavyweight prospects Todd Duffee by a devasting knockout at UFC 114 is currently a police officer in Chicago, Illinois who has not been punished for participating in MMA by the police department. So what gives? Why is Russow allowed to participate in MMA and Pierson is not?

Perhaps it comes down to the Toronto police force being scrutinized for thier possible roles in police brutality at the G20 summit held in Toronto.  My guess is that Pierson’s assumed violent nature because he is an MMA fighter has more to do with it than pay role issues.  Whatever the case may be, lets hope that Pierson chooses to stick with the fight game instead, for he shows true potential despite his elder status in MMA.

Sean Pierson Talking with Ariel Helwani of mmafighting.com prior to UFC 124 in Montreal, Canada about his long road to the UFC.