Video released of MMA fighter punching cop during Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection

The United States Department of Justice released footage of an MMA fighter attacking a police officer during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Scott Fairlamb,…

By: Karim Zidan | 2 years ago
Video released of MMA fighter punching cop during Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

The United States Department of Justice released footage of an MMA fighter attacking a police officer during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

Scott Fairlamb, who also runs a gym in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, can be seen shoving a police officer before punching him in the face. He was also reportedly among the first to storm the building.

Fairlamb, whose brother is a Secret Service agent who once led Michelle Obama’s security team, was identified after multiple people sent tips to the FBI, which led to his arrest in January. He was indicted in February on 12 federal criminal counts but pleaded not guilty on April 13. Senior U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled that Fairlamb would be held without bail pending the outcome of his trial.

The judge also portrayed the former fighter as a danger to the community due to his violent criminal history, which includes several cases of assault. Fairlamb was also labeled as an adherent of the far-right QAnon conspiracy movement and was accused of threatening Missouri U.S. Rep. Cori Bush in June 2020 before the Democrat was elected to her first term in Congress in November.

It is worth noting that Fairlamb was among the business owners in New Jersey who attempted to defy stay-at home orders during the initial lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fairlamb, who went by the nickname “Wildman” during his MMA career, compiled a 0-1 professional record. His amateur record is unknown. His final fight took place at Ring of Combat 31 in 2010, where he lost to Michael Andrillo by submission. At the time, he fought out of the AMA Fight Club, which boasted fighters such as Charlie Brenneman, Rafaello Oliveira, and Ricardo Romero.

Share this story

About the author
Karim Zidan
Karim Zidan

Karim Zidan is a investigative reporter and feature writer focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. He has written for BloodyElbow since 2014 and has served as an associate editor since 2016. He also writes for The New York Times and The Guardian. Karim has been invited to speak about his work at numerous universities, including Princeton, and was a panelist at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival and the Oslo Freedom Forum. He also participated in the United Nations counter-terrorism conference in 2021. His reporting on Ramzan Kadyrov’s involvement in MMA, much of which was done for Bloody Elbow, has led to numerous award nominations, and was the basis of an award-winning HBO Real Sports documentary.

More from the author

Recent Stories