Pietro Menga: MMA fighter 'The Italian Stallion' jailed for supplying cocaine and trafficking firearms

Pietro Menga, 36, of Mount Street, Swinton, was sentenced to 15 years and five months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons and conspiracy to supply cocaine. Despite a public persona as a professional fighter, Menga acted as a middleman in the drug trade, securing wholesale quantities of cocaine for distribution and collecting commissions on each deal.

“Menga, like many criminals before him, thought he was hiding behind a secure communications system. Instead, he created his own evidence trail that has led them straight to jail,” said Detective Constable Shiels from Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Organised Crime Group.

Menga was identified during Operation Foam, GMP’s response to the nationwide takedown of the encrypted messaging platform EncroChat. The National Crime Agency gained access to the platform in 2020, uncovering thousands of messages related to drug trafficking, weapons sales, and violent plots. Menga, operating under the handle ‘wirelessshark’, believed his communications were secure and spoke openly about his dealings.

Through conversations that referenced his girlfriend, his knee injuries from MMA fighting, and his home gym, detectives were able to link Menga to the encrypted account. His messages included negotiations for large drug deals, with street value estimates between £490,000 and £620,000, and detailed discussions about firearms.

In one message, he described Skorpion machine guns as a “tastey bit of kit” that are “always good for a rainy day,” boasting that they came with ammunition. Investigators found further evidence that Menga was involved in sourcing firearms for others and was connected to an organised crime group previously jailed for more than 200 years over a record-breaking firearm trafficking operation.

Menga was arrested on January 15, 2024, after a warrant was executed at his home.

“This result shows that we remain committed to pursuing people who think they are above the law and believe they can evade justice,” added DC Shiels. “The level that Menga operated at showed he clearly had an established list of criminal contacts, one which will have been built over several years under the radar, facilitated by the use of EncroChat.”

Under Operation Foam, Greater Manchester Police have made over 300 arrests, dismantled multiple organised crime groups, and secured sentences totalling more than 1,000 years. Officers have also prevented large volumes of drugs, firearms, and ammunition from reaching the streets.

Who is Pietro Menga or The Italian Stallion?

Menga is a British mixed martial artist born on February 15, 1988, in Salford, England. Competing primarily in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions, Menga has been affiliated with gyms such as The MMA Academy Liverpool and Supergym Thai Boxing.​

Menga began his professional MMA career in 2011. He amassed an impressive undefeated streak of 13 consecutive wins. Out of his 14 career victories, nine came by way of submission. Notably, he secured wins in promotions like Bellator and BAMMA, with a first-round knockout against Spencer Hewitt at Bellator 158 in July 2016.

Menga was signed as a potential flyweight prospect. He was scheduled to make his UFC debut against Tim Elliott at UFC on FOX 26 in December 2017. However, the bout was cancelled after Menga failed to make the flyweight limit, weighing in at 131 pounds. Following this setback, he was released from the UFC without having competed in the promotion.​

After his UFC release, Menga suffered a series of losses, including defeats to Raymison Bruno, Takeya Mizugaki, Fernando Flores, and Luke Shanks. Despite these setbacks, he achieved a comeback victory in April 2023, submitting Sam Halliday in the first round at BMF MMA 5. He was later scheduled to fight Kiru Sahota at OKTAGON 52 in January 2024, but the bout was cancelled.