UFC Lightweight Reza Madadi Reportedly Arrested For Burglary in Sweden

The Swedish tabloid Expressen reported that UFC lightweight Reza “Mad Dog” Madadi was arrested Friday on suspicion of grand theft in Sweden. Bloody Elbow summarized and translated the report, which described an alleged smash-and-grab burglary involving luxury handbags worth about one million Swedish kronor (approximately $150,000).

“One of Sweden’s most successful star athletes, in his sport, is suspected for a smash-and-grab burglary on Stureplan in Stockholm. The loot was luxury handbags worth a million kronor (SEK) [approximately $150,000]. The sports star, who denies [the] charges, was arrested after a dramatic car chase.”

Madadi Denied the Allegations

Madadi was not specifically named in the tabloid article, which referenced prior legal troubles of the Iranian-Swedish fighter — including a 2009 arrest for an alleged cash depot robbery — but court documents later confirmed that Madadi was arrested. Madadi was reported to have a public defender representing him and maintained his innocence. Bloody Elbow reported at the time that a conviction could carry a prison sentence of up to six years.

Madadi’s previous fight was a submission win over Michael Johnson at UFC on Fuel 9 in Sweden. The lightweight had been scheduled to face TUF 15 winner Michael Chiesa in Seattle that July before visa problems removed him from the card.

Details From the Reported Handbag Heist

It was just before 5 AM on Friday morning when the alarm went off in the exclusive handbag boutique “Bottega Veneta” on Birger Jarlsgatan in Stockholm. The boutique’s CCTV registered how three people struggled to get inside.

They were banging against the door with a metal object. It took probably five minutes before they were inside, an employee of the store says.

In spite of the prolonged process, the police did not get there in time.

When the thieves came inside they cleaned out the boutique of the most expensive bags and ran out again. They knew exactly what they wanted, continues the employee, who estimates the value of the stolen goods to about a million kronor (SEK).

The police took up the hunt for the get-away car and managed to stop them.

“We have two in custody. One of them is suspected of grand theft, and the other for aiding grand theft,” says prosecutor Olof Calmvik.

— Elias Cepeda