This is definitely not a good look for the UFC.
According to a story via Caged Insider, UFC veteran referee Josh Rosenthal, has confessed to owning a warehouse that contained over 1356 marijuana plants after it was raided by federal agents roughly a year ago.
According to the Oakland, CA district attorneys office, they have just received a guilty plea from Rosenthal for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. The next step now is sentencing, which is said to be a D.A. recommended 37 month jail term and five month probation. Not bad, considering the street value of the potential sale would be over six million dollars. The original sentencing for such a crime without a plea is said to be $10 million dolloars in fines, as well as 10 years to life in prison. All and all, Rosenthal may look to be doing some time, but it’s a slap on the wrist in contrast to the full extent of the severity.
I think it’s pretty safe to say that Josh Rosenthal won’t see inside of a UFC ring again. President Dana White usually doesn’t tolerate employees who reflect badly on his brand and this crime that Rosenthal has plead guilty to, is sure to brush back negatively on his company. That is a lot of marijuana.