MMA News Roundup: Fighter charged with killing ex-GF, Conor McGregor sends death threat, ex-UFC fighter renouncing U.S. citizenship over Russian passport
Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC updates and other stories from the world of mixed martial arts.
In today's issue, we talk about a former MMA fighter allegedly murdering his ex-girlfriend, Conor McGregor lashing out at a fellow fighter, and more.
#3. MMA fighter Dwayne Herelle Jr. accused of stabbing ex-girlfriend 17 times
Yet another MMA fighter finds himself on the horribly wrong side of the law.
Dwayne Herelle Jr., a professional fighter, has been charged with murder after he allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend Irene Torres. It's said that he then stuffed the body in a storage bin and put it inside a closet in his Bellevue Apartments home in Nashville, Tennessee.
Metro Nashville PD confirmed the news on Twitter along with a mugshot of Herelle Jr.
Dwayne Herelle Jr., 28, has just been charged with criminal homicide for the stabbing murder of his ex-girlfriend, Irene Torres, 24. Torres was found dead inside Herelle's closet at 865 Bellevue Apartments. It appears she was killed in Old Hickory and her body driven to Bellevue. https://t.co/jP4QL3SjTI
Herelle is 0-2 in his professional career.
Local outlet WKRN.com reported that the incident took place outside Torres' Old Hickory home after she returned from work on January 28. The detective in charge, Derry Baltimore, revealed that home surveillance footage confirmed Herelle stabbed Torres 17 times, dragged her to his car, and put the body in the trunk.
The victim's sister Reyna Douglas has set up a GoFundMe to help cover memorial expenses. In the description, she detailed that Torres was in a physically and mentally abusive relationship with Herelle. She broke up with him a month ago.
The GoFundMe helped raise nearly $20,000 and has now been closed after Torres' funeral. The remaining funds are to be donated to a local domestic violence charity.
#2. Conor McGregor threatens to "kill" Tom Aspinall
Conor McGregor has been showing glimpses of his older self since his return to the UFC to shoot The Ultimate Fighter. The former champion took issue with Tom Aspinall's recent comments and lashed out at him on Twitter.
The UFC heavyweight earned McGregor's wrath after stating that he was not interested in the Irishman's return and that there were "another 20 fights" he was more intrigued by.
Reacting to the statement, McGregor called Aspinall a "mush head rat" in a now-deleted tweet. In another, he threatened to "starve" and "kill" Aspinall.
Between sending threats and getting accused of replacing TUF fighters with his teammates, McGregor's return to action has been quite explosive so far.
#1. Ex-UFC fighter Jeff Monson renouncing American citizenship
Former UFC fighter Jeff Monson has confirmed with TASS that he will be giving up his U.S. citizenship and will only hold a Russian passport.
"I am in the process of renouncing American citizenship. In the spring I will only have a Russian passport. I do not agree with US policy, they interfere in the affairs of other countries, people suffer because of them. Yes, I have children in the USA, but I love Russia, Russian people."
He confirmed the same in an Instagram post, claiming he wants "nothing to do with" the United States of America.
In 2018, Monson became one of the American public personalities to be granted a Russian passport in an amicable gesture by President Vladimir Putin. He followed in the footsteps of boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. and actor Steven Seagal.
Monson went on to be a politician in Russia and was elected to the duma (local city parliament) of Krasnogorsk, a city near Moscow. He has spoken repeatedly in Russia's favor during the ongoing war and even called Ukraine a potential "colony of corporate America."
Read the full report here.
Monson is a veteran of many MMA promotions, including the UFC, where he fought between 2000 and 2006.