Mark Hulme’s six month ban from MMA has been upheld following a failed appeal from the fighter.
Hulme was initially handed a six month ban for elbow strikes towards the back of his opponent, Morne Prinsloo at the Extreme Fighting championship (EFC) 29 on May 1st.
In the first round of that bout Hulme landed three elbows to Prinsloo’s back which resulted in referee Ian Pienaar calling time on the fight and disqualifying the fighter.
Following the event Hulme was given the option of submitting a letter of motivation, after which footage was reviewed and an initial decision made.
Event officials found that two of the three elbow strikes landed directly on the spine of Prinsloo, and handed a six month suspension to Hulme.
Hulme and his camp appealed the decision, after which another review took place, where the decision was upheld.
Hulme’s suspension runs from the day of the bout, May 1st, which only makes him eligible to fight again at the end of October 2014.
“I understand the implications of my actions and accept my suspension gracefully,” said Hulme.
“It’s important to remember that being aggressive is a part of what I do and cannot just be switched of so easily.
“In no way was I being disrespectful to Morne.
“I am taking this time to work on things I need to, and to improve myself and my skill.
“I am excited about competing again and cannot wait to show off the new and improved Mark Hulme.”
