Former MMA fighter Scott Fairlamb receives 41-month prison sentence for involvement in Capitol Riots

Former MMA fighter and New Jersey gym owner Scott Fairlamb has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for his involvement in the deadly Capitol Riots that took place in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6.

Fairlamb is the first violent offender involved in the riots to receive a prison sentence after he pleaded guilty in August to assaulting a police officer and obstructing an official proceeding.

“I truly regret my actions that day,” Fairlamb said in court while addressing Judge Royce Lamberth. “I have nothing but remorse. I just hope you show some mercy on me, sir.”

Fairlamb will also face 36 months of supervised release after he gets out of prison.

Prosecutors initially sought a 44-month sentence after Fairlamb was captured on video from bodycam footage that showed him following and shouting at police officers on the scene before shoving and then punching one of the officers.

Fairlamb also took photos that showed him in an area that was clearly marked closed, which proved he was trespassing and not allowed in the building. He also sent messages to a friend saying that he’d “go again” if there was another opportunity to invade the Capitol building.

Prosecutors stated that Fairlamb was one of the first rioters to invade the building during the melee on Jan. 6. Days after the riots ended, he allegedly tagged Representative Cori Bush from Missouri in an Instagram post that said he “shoulda lit your ass up” during the attacks.

According to CNN, the post made by Fairlamb also featured screenshots of racist and sexist threats made against the congresswoman.

In a separate post that was made and later deleted on Facebook, Fairlamb touted his part in the Capitol Riots, saying, “What Patriots do? We fuckin’ disarm them and then we storm f*ckin’ the Capitol.”

The judge in the case admonished Fairlamb for his behavior that day, adding that other rioters who will soon have their own day in court should probably look at the plea deal struck by the New Jersey gym owner because going to trial would likely result in “a lot more” prison time.

“The way you hit (the police officer) in the face like that, you’re fortunate he wasn’t injured,” Lamberth said.

Fairlamb, 44, competed professionally in MMA just once, losing a bout in the Ring of Combat promotion in New Jersey. He also owned his own gym, Fairlamb Fit, in New Jersey, which previously came under fire after he refused COVID-19 protocols put in place in the state.