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UFC stars Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker lash out in fury at world-famous footy team over their mate's death in shocking attack Two MMA stars have lashed out at the Tongan rugby team It comes following the death of MMA star Fau Vake in 2021 A man has been discharged without conviction over his death By Ed Carruthers For Daily Mail Australia Published: 23:13 EDT, 27 October 2024 | Updated: 23:13 EDT, 27 October 2024 e-mail MMA stars Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker have both hit out at the Tongan national rugby union team on social media. It comes after a man who was allegedly involved in a fight that led to the death of MMA star Fau Vake was granted a discharge without conviction by a New Zealand Court. Tongan rugby team staffer Semisie Pomale, 35, is alleged to have slapped Vake, 25, during the incident that occurred on May 16, 2021, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Pomale was charged with two counts of common assault. His co-defendants had faced charges of manslaughter with intent to injure. The fight is understood to have occurred at 2.
45am in the Auckland CBD. One of Pomale's friends had punched Vake, sending him to the floor. The rising MMA star subsequently hit his head on the pavement and suffered unsurvivable brain damage.
The strike has been described as a 'coward punch' with 30-year-old Daniel Havili being sentenced to prison for manslaughter. Pomale was one of four defendants to plead guilty to the incident. Former UFC world champion Israel Adesanya (left) has hit out at the Tongan rugby team after a man who was involved in an attack that led to the death of MMA fighter Fau Vake (right) was cleared of charges But he was cleared of conviction after the judge took into consideration his remorse and his employment with the Tongan national rugby team.
Pomale was hired as the side's deputy manager in April. His lawyers had argued that his contract with the team involves travel around the world and that a criminal sanction could hinder his attempts to be granted a visa for countries Tonga are likely to travel to, like the United States. Tonga's head coach Tevita Tu'ifua is also understood to have provided an affidavit stating that Pomale's role includes work such as team management and logistics.
The affidavit adds that if a restriction was placed upon him it would 'significantly impact the team's performance'. It is understood that the judge had cited his role with the rugby team in his decision. But Adesanya and Hooker have both lashed out at the rugby union side's involvement in the case on social media.
'Really? Tongan rugby...
' Adesanya wrote on his Instagram, posting a picture of a headline reading 'Tongan rugby team hires man who joined attack on MMA fighter Fau Vake'. Adesanya continued: 'Fau’s plans to represent Tonga on the global stage were permanently erased. 'Can any tokos confirm or deny this.
.. let me know.
' Hooker, meanwhile, took to X to speak out on the report. 'I love being a cage fighter and not a mainstream athlete so I can voice my opinion of things that p**s me off,' the New Zealand MMA star said. Promising star Vake passed away in 2021 after an attack in Auckland's CBD UFC star Dan Hooker (pictured) wrote 'these dogs should crawl under a rock and die' as he reacted to news of the trial over Vake's death 'These dogs should crawl under a rock and die.
He added: 'Scum.' Adesanya, who holds a 24-4-0 record in the UFC, had gone to sit by Vake with members of the City Kickboxing gym after he had been admitted to hospital with the fatal brain injury. Vake was on life support for almost a week before he sadly passed away from his injuries.
'He says as a result of what happened to Mr Vake, he was shocked to the core,' Judge Peter Winter said. 'I assess him to be genuinely remorseful. 'I do not consider that he would have been aware of the likelihood of the incident elevating to the extent that it did, where a blow was administered by another person which caused the victim to fall to the ground and suffer the fatal injury he did.
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