UFC vet Hermes Franca sentenced to 42 months in prison

Hermes Franca today was sentenced to 42 months in prison for sexually abusing an underage female student in a jiu-jitsu academy where he once taught.

That's according to a report today from "The Oregonian."

After initially pleading not guilty to seven counts of sex abuse in the first degree and two counts of unlawful sexual penetration in the second degree, Franca pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful penetration and one count of first-degree sexual abuse on Wednesday in a Clackamas County, Ore. courtroom.

Franca, 37, also was sentenced to four-and-a-half years of post-prison supervision, and he must register as a sex offender.

The onetime UFC lightweight title challenger turned himself into the Clackamas County Jail this past May.

He faced a mandatory minimum of 75 months for the initial charges against him.

Franca was scheduled to fight Drew Ficket on June 10 for the MFC lightweight belt, but the organization released him.

Franca (21-11) made 11 appearances in the UFC and was released from the promotion shortly after a knockout loss to Tyson Griffin at UFC 103. His career highlight came at UFC 73, when he fought Sean Sherk for the lightweight title, but he lost a unanimous decision and later was suspended and fined when a post-fight drug test flagged him for steroids.

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