This really happened.
Dustin Holyko was shit-canned by World Series of Fighting (WSOF) after news broke (via Bloody Elbow) that the 28-year-old welterweight, whose "Prelims" bout made the NBC telecast, was using his body as a propaganda billboard, featuring several prominent neo-Nazi tattoos.
Not that it helped him against Neiman Gracie, who subbed Holyko at the WSOF 11 mixed martial arts (MMA) event last Saturday night (July 5, 2014) in Daytona Beach, Florida.
In addition, it was later revealed that Holyko had previously been charged with domestic violence, animal cruelty, felony battery domestic violence, and domestic battery by strangulation. Upon hearing the news, WSOF admitted that background checks were not conducted and instead shifted a portion of the blame to the MMA media.
Time to move on?
Not just yet. The Daytona Beach News-Journal now reports that Holyko wasn't even licensed to fight when he stepped foot inside the cage last weekend in "The Sunshine State," in what the Florida State Boxing Commission is calling an "administrative oversight."
From Director of Communications Tajiana Ancora-Brown:
"We know that there are discrepancies in the processes and procedures that should have been taken by the Florida State Boxing Commission. All I can say at this time is we don't have (a license application) on the record."
Ancora-Brown insists a "serious internal investigation" is underway.
Following the incident, a rep from NBC revealed the network was "aware of the situation" and that "steps will be taken to ensure this doesn't happen in the future" (read the full statement here). I'm sure one of those steps will include future background checks.
Something that seems to be a problem these days.