Brinsa cut after reports of Neo-Nazi tie

Undefeated German welterweight Benjamin Brinsa has had his contract terminated by the UFC before ever stepping foot in the Octagon.

A UFC official confirmed the move to FOX Sports this morning. UFC President Dana White responded to the termination during this afternoon's FOX Sports Google+ Hangout. "We don't do full-blown background checks," White said of the UFC's vetting process. "You can't really know everybody you sign—look at the Hernandez situation in Boston. It's too hard."

The news, first reported by MMAFighting.com, comes over a month after reports first surfaced alleging that the 24-year-old Brinsa, who goes by the nickname “The Hooligan,” had ties to a German Neo-Nazi group.

In July, shortly after the UFC signed him, website CagePotato.com reported that Brinsa’s Leipzig-based fight team, La Familia, had ties to the local Neo-Nazi scene, and that he had helped run a mail-order service for Neo-Nazi rock music.

When that report surfaced, UFC president Dana White said the promotion was looking into the situation.

“If he, in any way, shape, or form is involved in racist groups, Neo-Nazi groups, or anything negative like that, he'll be cut," White said then. “But I don't want to jump the gun because some people are tweeting stuff, and jump the gun and ruin this guy's life if it's not true. So we're going to look into it. I literally have a whole team of lawyers and everything else looking at it right now in Vegas, and if it's true, yeah [he will be cut]."

German news sites have also reported on the alleged links, saying Brinsa was La Familia’s most famous member. Brinsa was also previously cut from a German promotion, Respect Fighting Championship, for the same reason, its promoter told newspaper Taz.

In August, Brinsa denied all links to the hate groups, writing an extended message on Facebook that read in part, “I am not a neo-Nazi, never have been, never will be. At no time in my life have I ever made any xenophobic, anti-Semitic or racist statements, either in public or in private.” He also claimed that the rumors had been started and spread by one individual who kept up a “smear campaign” against him in an attempt to destroy his career.

Brinsa is currently 13-0 and last competed in May, defeating ex-UFC fighter Dan Stittgen via guillotine choke submission.