Pietro Menga, once a rising star on the British MMA scene and a former UFC signee, has been sentenced to 15 years and five months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons. The sentence, handed down at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, marks a dramatic fall from grace for the fighter once dubbed “The Italian Stallion”.
#JAILED | ‘Italian Stallion’ MMA fighter jailed for over 15 years for drugs and firearms offences.
With his day job as an MMA fighter, Pietro Menga, aka ‘The Italian Stallion’, had a more lucrative job as a middleman sourcing cocaine for an OCG.
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— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) April 22, 2025
Menga, 37, was a promising flyweight prospect with a 13-fight winning streak early in his career. He was scheduled to debut in the UFC against Tim Elliott in 2017, but missed weight and was released before ever stepping into the Octagon. His MMA journey continued on the British regional circuit, where he suffered four consecutive losses before a final win in 2023.
Operation Foam and the EncroChat Sting
The case against Menga unfolded as part of Operation Foam, Greater Manchester Police’s response to the national takedown of EncroChat, an encrypted messaging platform popular among organized crime groups. Authorities began investigating Menga after the National Crime Agency infiltrated EncroChat and uncovered thousands of messages detailing drug deals, firearms sales, and even assassination plots.
Operating under the username “wirelessshark,” Menga was identified through messages where he discussed personal details about his girlfriend, knee injuries from fighting, and his home gym, which are intertwined with criminal business. In these conversations, he openly negotiated the sale and purchase of wholesale quantities of cocaine and firearms, including Skorpion submachine guns, which he described as “always good for a rainy day”.
Detectives estimated that Menga was involved in drug transactions worth between £490,000 and £620,000, and his role as a middleman for an organized crime group was described as “lucrative” by Greater Manchester Police. His criminal network, built over several years, facilitated the trafficking of both drugs and weapons across the region.
On January 15, 2024, police executed a warrant at Menga’s home in Swinton, leading to his arrest. The overwhelming evidence from his encrypted device left little doubt about his involvement, and he ultimately pleaded guilty to all charges.
Legacy Tarnished and Broader Impact
Menga’s story is a cautionary tale of wasted potential and the dangers of a double life. Once seen as Manchester’s answer to Rocky Balboa, his aspirations of UFC stardom have been eclipsed by his criminal activities. The case also highlights the effectiveness of modern law enforcement tactics in dismantling organized crime, with Operation Foam resulting in over 300 arrests and the seizure of industrial volumes of drugs and firearms.
Detective Constable Shiels of the Serious Organised Crime Group commented, “The level that Menga operated at showed he clearly had an established list of criminal contacts, one which will have been built over several years under the radar, facilitated by the use of EncroChat”.
As Menga begins his lengthy prison sentence, the MMA community is left to reflect on a career that promised so much but ended in infamy—a stark reminder that choices outside the cage can define a fighter’s legacy as much as their performances within it.
