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Although this weekend’s UFC 124 extravaganza in Montreal reportedly broke the all-time North American MMA attendance record, it appears not all Canadians love them some mixed martial arts.
According to welterweight Sean Pierson, Toronto Police are forcing him to choose between pursuing his dream of becoming a UFC champion or remaining with his fellow boys in blue.
“I’ve been told I have to pick a dream,” Pierson told TheStar.com. “I’m being asked do I want to fight or do I want to be a police officer?
“Life is full of tough decisions.”
Following Saturday’s triumphant Octagon debut, Pierson returned to Toronto to start his FIRST shift as a cop. Unfortunately, he was turned away and told to hand in his uniform while the issue was being investigated.
According to TheStar.com, every police officer who has “secondary employment” must first clear it with the force. Requests for generating a second revenue stream can be denied if it constitutes a conflict of interest.
Although the Toronto Police did not elaborate on what type of job would be considered a conflict, Pierson chose to connect the dots himself.
“I can appreciate the position they’re in with what I do,” Pierson stated. “I don’t look at mixed martial arts as a negative, but I think the mainstream still looks at us as a bit of a black eye.”
Ironically, Octagon officials recently announced their first Toronto show for April 30th at the Rogers Centre. It’s a card Pierson was hoping to appear in.
The 34-year-old has compiled a 11-4 record over his 11-year professional fighting career. He has spent the last four years of his life working towards becoming a cop.
While the sport of MMA is nothing new to him, the Octagon’s bright lights are and that’s what must have drawn the attention/ire of Toronto law enforcement.
“Some people have a goal that they want to go to the world championships and stuff. That’s not my goal,” said Pierson. “I just want people to be proud of me.”
Pierson doesn’t know which road he’ll choose. However, UFC fans robbed him of $100,000 following his unanimous decision win over Matt Riddle on Saturday. That extra cheddar would have certainly helped make the decision a little easier
According to welterweight Sean Pierson, Toronto Police are forcing him to choose between pursuing his dream of becoming a UFC champion or remaining with his fellow boys in blue.
“I’ve been told I have to pick a dream,” Pierson told TheStar.com. “I’m being asked do I want to fight or do I want to be a police officer?
“Life is full of tough decisions.”
Following Saturday’s triumphant Octagon debut, Pierson returned to Toronto to start his FIRST shift as a cop. Unfortunately, he was turned away and told to hand in his uniform while the issue was being investigated.
According to TheStar.com, every police officer who has “secondary employment” must first clear it with the force. Requests for generating a second revenue stream can be denied if it constitutes a conflict of interest.
Although the Toronto Police did not elaborate on what type of job would be considered a conflict, Pierson chose to connect the dots himself.
“I can appreciate the position they’re in with what I do,” Pierson stated. “I don’t look at mixed martial arts as a negative, but I think the mainstream still looks at us as a bit of a black eye.”
Ironically, Octagon officials recently announced their first Toronto show for April 30th at the Rogers Centre. It’s a card Pierson was hoping to appear in.
The 34-year-old has compiled a 11-4 record over his 11-year professional fighting career. He has spent the last four years of his life working towards becoming a cop.
While the sport of MMA is nothing new to him, the Octagon’s bright lights are and that’s what must have drawn the attention/ire of Toronto law enforcement.
“Some people have a goal that they want to go to the world championships and stuff. That’s not my goal,” said Pierson. “I just want people to be proud of me.”
Pierson doesn’t know which road he’ll choose. However, UFC fans robbed him of $100,000 following his unanimous decision win over Matt Riddle on Saturday. That extra cheddar would have certainly helped make the decision a little easier
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