MMA star getting paid to fight a policeman after a decade-long chase and arrest for a crime he didn't commit

MMA star Shem Rock has been looking for redemption against the British judicial system, and it seems the 29-year-old Liverpudlian is going to get it. For his next assignment, Shem Rock will face Jaroslav Pokorny, a Czech policeman, at the OKTAGON 48 in Manchester next month.

For context, Rock spent ten years living the life of a fugitive in Asia after being accused of a crime he didn't commit. He was arrested on charges of aggravated burglary despite pleading innocent and was wrongly detained for an extended period. After he was bailed out by mistake, Rock decided to run for his life instead of trusting the justice system in England.

During his time on the run, he took up mixed martial arts and found his calling while training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Upon his return to England, he was jailed briefly before a jury acquitted him of burglary and violent assault, and he returned to the MMA scene.

Less than two years after his arrest, Shem Rock signed a multi-fight deal with Oktagon. He is now slated to face Czech policeman Jaroslav Pokorny, and he'll be looking to redeem himself for all the executive judicial trauma he suffered for over a decade.

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MMA star Shem Rock expresses joy over being able to punch a policeman legally

English MMA star Shem Rock recently opened up about being able to fight a police officer in the cage. The lightweight contender claimed that he's looking forward to it and hopes he can avenge all those young people who've suffered at the hands of the police force.

As mentioned, Shem Rock isn't a fan of the police or the judicial system. Given his almost-cinematic ordeal as a fugitive on the run for over a decade, it's no surprise that the 29-year-old is looking for some payback.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, the MMA star outlined his reasons for accepting this matchup and said:

"The fact they are adding fuel to the fire by letting me punch a police officer in the face is 100 times better. I'm not just doing this for me. I am doing this for every lad from every council estate who has had a hatred for the police. I am getting paid, no repercussions, to punch a police officer in the face."

He continued:

"Tell me, who in this room right now wouldn't want to punch a police officer in the face? With no repercussions? Exactly... They know 18,000 people are going to be booing him. That's a fact. I just can't wait to step in there with him."