POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Three people have been arrested on charges related to the killing of three friends who met up for a fishing trip in Polk County last week, Sheriff Grady Judd announced Wednesday.
Judd said Tony “TJ” Wiggins, 26, and his girlfriend, Mary Whittemore, 27, and Tony’s brother, William “Robert” Wiggins, 21, were all arrested this week on charges related to the deaths of 23-year-old Damion Tillman, 30-year-old Keven Springfield and 27-year-old Brandon Rollins.
Tony, who Judd said has 230 felony criminal charges in his arrest history dating back to age 12, is charged with first degree murder, tampering with evidence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
“He’s a thug. He’s a criminal. He’s pure evil in the flesh,” Judd said. “He’s wild and he’s out of control.”
Judd said Tony has 15 felony convictions on his record and has served two sentences in state prison.
Deputies said Robert is charged with tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact of capital felony, and Whittemore is charged with accessory after the fact of capital felony.
On Episode 4 of UFC 230 Embedded, two-division champion Daniel Cormier sharpens all of his skills at Renzo Gracie's New York City gym. Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman feels at home alongside his coach Ray Longo and friend Gian Villante. At open workouts, middleweight Jacare Souza learns basketball skills on the fly, and heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis entertains the crowd. Weidman takes a break from shopping to make some media calls. Middleweight Derek Brunson enjoys time with his son, as opponent Israel Adesanya draws attention even in the middle of Times Square. UFC 230 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the heavyweight title fight taking place Saturday, November 3 on Pay-Per-View.
On Episode 3 of UFC 230 Embedded, former middleweight champion Chris Weidman enjoys time with his family, while opponent Jacare Souza keeps his training on schedule in New York City. Middleweight Israel Adesanya gets an early taste of Madison Square Garden at a Knicks game. Two-division champ Daniel Cormier prepares to be the smaller man inside the Octagon in his heavyweight title fight against Derrick Lewis, who gets a hero's flight from Houston. Middleweight Derek Brunson sharpens his tools ahead of his fight against Adesanya, who relishes the fight week spotlight. UFC 230 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the heavyweight title fight taking place Saturday, November 3 on Pay-Per-View.
NEW YORK (AP) — The “DC” initials that flashed on the Madison Square Garden marquee have a deeper meaning for Daniel Cormier.
Dual Champ.
Cormier draped himself in two title belts, history-making bling that cemented the 39-year-old as one of the greats in the mixed martial arts game.
“Two belts for each shoulder! I get to look at this again,” Cormier said. “It’s history and Daniel Cormier is one of the best of all-time.”
He backed up his boast with authority in New York.
Cormier choked out Derrick Lewis in the middle of the second round to retain his heavyweight championship in the main event of UFC 230, becoming the first fighter to defend titles in two weight classes.
Cormier, who also holds the light heavyweight crown, made quick work of an overmatched Lewis with a rear naked choke. He celebrated with his family in the cage as Lewis trudged out, still in his trunks unlike the last fight that made him a quick star.
Cormier (22-1, 1 no-contest) had a quick takedown in the first and turned in a dominant yet dull effort to easily take the round. He didn’t waste much time in the second and left MSG with a little slice of history.
With trash talk worthy of WrestleMania hype, Cormier called out former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE star Brock Lesnar for a match in 2019.
Cormier had an itch to add a third (yet faux) title.
“Bring that belt with you when you come to my house,” said Cormier, who has vowed to retire at age 40.
Cormier won the heavyweight crown when he flattened Stipe Miocic, a bout that ended with theatrics after he called Lesnar into the cage. Lesnar shoved Cormier in the chest while the fighters traded insults to hype a potential future bout.
UFC President Dana White has said he wanted a Lesnar-Cormier bout signed for next year, a showcase that would surely be the biggest ever for heavyweights. Lesnar is still with WWE and left the promotion’s controversial Crown Jewel event on Friday in Saudi Arabia as the Universal champion. His status remains as murky as ever — he still has to serve out the remainder of a USADA suspension — and was not spotted at MSG.
Cormier beat Anthony Johnson in 2015 to win the light heavyweight title and defended it against the likes of Alexander Gustafsson and Volkan Oezdemir.
Cormier has never lost to anyone except Jon Jones, the star-crossed former light heavyweight champion who beat him twice. The second bout last year was changed to a no-contest when Jones failed a doping test that kept him out of the sport for 15 months. Cormier will be stripped of his light heavyweight title and the 205-pound crown will go to the winner of the Jones-Gustafsson bout at UFC 232 on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas.
Jones has ruled out a trilogy, and Cormier’s next challenger will surely give him a better fight than Lewis.
Lewis (21-6) served 3½ years in prison in his early 20s stemming from a parole violation when he was charged with aggravated assault shortly after high school. Lewis took up mixed martial arts shortly after his release and used his big right hand to ascend to a title shot. He had won nine of his last 10 fights and his self-deprecating humor — including a randy answer as to why he stripped off his shorts inside the cage after his last win — earned him a sponsorship deal with Popeyes Chicken.
“Look who just slid into our DMs before the weigh in,” the fried chicken joint tweeted, with a picture of Lewis chomping on a drumstick.
Much like attacking a bucket of chicken, Cormier tagged Lewis everywhere: leg, thigh, and then the neck for the decisive blow.
“A lot of people have to understand that I’ve been doing this for nine years and I fought at a championship level for eight of them,” Cormier said. “If you have a puncher’s chance it’s not good enough.”
The main event had history, if not the thrills of the earlier bouts.
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza connected on a flush right hand to the temple to knock out Chris Weidman in the third round in a battle of two fighters who both badly needed a victory.
Souza and Weidman were engaged in a brutal slugfest that kept both fighters on their feet for most of the first 2½ rounds. Weidman finally got caught and clung to Souza’s leg as he tried to find his bearings. Souza got a couple of punches in for good measure until referee Dan Miragliotta mercifully stopped the fight.
Souza rebounded from a loss to Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 224 and did it with a busted nose. Weidman stunned Souza with a right that smashed the Brazilian’s nose, making it spew blood for the remainder of the first round.
Israel Adesanya had a breakout performance with a dominant destruction of veteran Derek Brunson than ran his record to 15-0 and launched him as serious contender in the middleweight division.
Adesanya flipped off Brunson early in the first round and finished him not much later for the TKO win. Adesanya landed a knee to the face that stumbled Brunson and finished him off with a left that had the crowd on its feet. Adesanya, who has earned comparisions to a young Anderson Silva, danced in the middle of the octagon on a night where a new star was seemingly born.
His bio on his @stylebender Instagram account says he likes to “say the darndest things.” Adesanya had something to witty to say to the MSG crowd.
“They say this is a walk in the park? Nah, it’s a walk in the Garden,” Adesanya said.
UFC 230 Embedded, two-division champion Daniel Cormier readies himself for a uniquely fearless opponent; heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis trains for another knockout win. Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman zeroes in on BJJ under his longtime coach, UFC Hall of Famer Matt Serra. Middleweight foe Jacare Souza anticipates a champion versus champion caliber matchup. Lewis feels the spotlight at a local Rockets game, and Cormier decorates pumpkins with his family. UFC 230 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the heavyweight title fight taking place Saturday, November 3 on Pay-Per-View.
On Episode 6 of UFC 230 Embedded, heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis reveals the upbringing that fueled his drive to succeed, and middleweight Chris Weidman cuts weight surrounded by his “true team.” On Friday morning, everyone makes weight, including Weidman and opponent Jacare Souza, and Lewis and two-weight champ Daniel Cormier. Then everyone heads to Madison Square Garden to face off at ceremonial weigh-ins. UFC 230 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the heavyweight title fight taking place Saturday, November 3 on Pay-Per-View.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 19, 2018 at 7:19pm
UFC star Jon Jones could be eligible to return to competition by Oct. 28 -- fifteen months after failing the second drug test of his illustrious career.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced on Wednesday it has suspended Jones for 15 months, for testing positive for metabolites of an anabolic steroid on July 28, 2017. The suspension is retroactive to the date of the test, meaning Jones has already served nearly 14 months.
Jones, who is from Rochester, New York, had faced a maximum ban of four years. He still faces potential sanctions by the California State Athletic Commission because the failed test took place in Anaheim, California. But Wednesday's USADA resolution marked a major development in the case.
An independent arbitrator settled on the 15-month suspension length following a closed hearing last weekend. Jones, 31, has maintained he did not take any performance-enhancing drug around the time of the test, but he did admit to the use of illicit drugs, including cocaine, "prior to and for a period of time after" July 28, 2017.
Jones's case took more than one year to resolve because of several circumstances. He submitted the failed test one day before he knocked out Daniel Cormier to reclaim the light heavyweight championship at UFC 214. The result of that bout has since been changed to a no-contest because of Jones's positive test results.
Despite his claims of innocence, Jones has been unable to account for the substance in his system. He submitted 14 supplements to be tested for possible contamination, none of which came back positive for any banned substance.
The details of this case were inconsistent, however, with someone trying to beat a drug test, in that Jones passed five out-of-competition tests in the five months prior to the adverse finding, and presumably would have expected to be tested around his fight at UFC 214.
Even though the substance was never accounted for, the circumstances were such that USADA only sought a maximum 18-month suspension. Although it rarely happens, identifying the source of an adverse finding is not a requirement to reduce sanctions under the UFC's anti-doping program.
Posted by ChasinDatPaper on September 19, 2018 at 7:00pm
UFC star Jon Jones could be eligible to return to competition by Oct. 28 -- fifteen months after failing the second drug test of his illustrious career.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced on Wednesday it has suspended Jones for 15 months, for testing positive for metabolites of an anabolic steroid on July 28, 2017. The suspension is retroactive to the date of the test, meaning Jones has already served nearly 14 months.
Jones, who is from Rochester, New York, had faced a maximum ban of four years. He still faces potential sanctions by the California State Athletic Commission because the failed test took place in Anaheim, California. But Wednesday's USADA resolution marked a major development in the case.
An independent arbitrator settled on the 15-month suspension length following a closed hearing last weekend. Jones, 31, has maintained he did not take any performance-enhancing drug around the time of the test, but he did admit to the use of illicit drugs, including cocaine, "prior to and for a period of time after" July 28, 2017.
Jones's case took more than one year to resolve because of several circumstances. He submitted the failed test one day before he knocked out Daniel Cormier to reclaim the light heavyweight championship at UFC 214. The result of that bout has since been changed to a no-contest because of Jones's positive test results.
Despite his claims of innocence, Jones has been unable to account for the substance in his system. He submitted 14 supplements to be tested for possible contamination, none of which came back positive for any banned substance.
The details of this case were inconsistent, however, with someone trying to beat a drug test, in that Jones passed five out-of-competition tests in the five months prior to the adverse finding, and presumably would have expected to be tested around his fight at UFC 214.
Even though the substance was never accounted for, the circumstances were such that USADA only sought a maximum 18-month suspension. Although it rarely happens, identifying the source of an adverse finding is not a requirement to reduce sanctions under the UFC's anti-doping program.
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