MMA Veteran Paul Cahoon Wanted by Police in Connection With Drug Dealing

MMA veteran Paul Cahoon has been in with the likes of Melvin Manhoef, Ian Freeman and Elvis Sinosic but this week 38-year-old was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. He is wanted by Merseyside police who are looking to speak to him as part of an investigation into the supply of Class A and B drugs throughout the United Kingdom.

It represents a dramatic fall from grace for a fighter who was one of the pioneers on the UK scene. Cahoon made his pro debut in 1998 at a stage when the sport was very much in its infancy. Competing under a variety of rulesets he lost nine of his first 12 fights but was able to turn his career around.

After suffering back-to-back losses to Melvin Manhoef and Amar Suloev the Englishman bounced back to win 10 out of his final 13 MMA fights. Cahoon, who fought for the now defunct Cage Rage and its successor UCMMA, was on a three fight winning streak when he retired in 2010.

Cahoon is originally from St Helens and is not the first MMA fighter from Merseyside to have his name connected to the supply of illegal drugs. In 2013 UFC veteran Paul Kelly was jailed for 13 years for running what was described as 'a major heroin ring' in Liverpool.

According to Merseyside police Cahoon is believed to currently be in Dubai. He is wanted as part of an investigation which has seen nine people from Widnes, St Helens, Wirral, Liverpool and South Wales have charged with drugs conspiracy offences while three others remain on police bail pending further enquiries.

These arrests all came as a result of co-ordinated raids in the northwest and in South Wales on July 16th. According to the Liverpool Echo the police seized high value goods including BMW cars and jet skis which would suggest that crime pays slightly better than a job as an MMA journeyman.

The UK signed an extradition treaty with the UAE in 2008 and several fugitives have been sent back from Dubai to face justice in the British courts. The most famous of them is James Ibori, who was sentenced to 13 years in 2012 for embezzling £50 million in one of Britain's biggest money laundering cases.

If charged with a drugs related offence Cahoon's name will be added to a roll of ignominy that includes retired MMA fighters like Kelly, Lee Murray and Brian Bowles who have all been either arrested or imprisoned on drugs charges.