Dustin Holyko Explains “White Pride” Tattoo And Criminal Past

Former WSOF fighter Dustin Holyko has caught a significant amount of flak for his “White Pride” tattoo, as well as the Nazi “SS” Lightning bolt tattoo on his back. After BloodyElbow writer Brent Brookhouse did some research and dug up Holyko’s criminal past, the WSOF released him from his contract.

MMAJunkie.com verifired Holyko’s criminal charges, which showed that Holyko served two years for robbery with a non-deadly weapon, Holyko is currently on probation but violated the probation in 2012 when he caught an “escape” charge.

Holyko spoke to MMAJunkie.com to explain his side of the charges saying:

“When I was 18, I went to prison, and I got white pride tattooed on my arms because prison is pretty racially separated,” he said. “I am proud of my race, but I’m not racist or any kind of Nazi.

“One of my trainers, Mike Vasquez, he’s Puerto Rican and Spanish, and he’s like a dad to me. A lot of my training partners and friends are from different races. I have not a racist bone in my body at all.”

Two of the more concerning charges that are on Holyko’s record are domestic assault with strangulation. Holyko explained the situation saying:

“The cops came, and somehow, I ended up going to jail for it,” he said. “I never laid a finger on anybody, and that’s where the whole domestic thing comes from.”

Holyko went on to explain the animal cruelty charge:

“We got in a big fight, (and other neighbors from the same house) actually jumped me and beat me up pretty good,” Holyko said. “That night, I get charged with animal cruelty, and I got three battery charges.

“In the process of everything going, the girl that I was with got hit; she was trying to break everything up. Never once told the cops, ‘He hit me.’ She didn’t know how she got hit; somehow she got elbowed trying to break up the fight and get everybody off of me. And they charged me with domestic violence. All the charges got dropped, too.”

However the big change in Holyko’s life came after he avoided a possible 15-year prison stint for an escape charge which happened in 2012.

“I was trying to be funny,” he said. “There was some chicks there, and a couple of my buddies. They sat us on the curb when they were doing their reports, and they weren’t paying attention. So (my friends) were like, ‘C’mon.’ It was kind of a joke. I got out, walked away, and I tried to hang out in the clubs with handcuffs on; we were all laughing. Next thing I know, the cops catch up to me, slam me on the ground and bring me back. They charged me with a misdemeanor, but the state attorney got ahold of it and jacked it up to a second-degree escape charges, which I could have done 15 years over that.”

Despite his colorful past, Holyko, a small business owner, maintains that he is a changed man.

“I’ve got two beautiful kids, a beautiful girlfriend, a beautiful home on three acres with a swimming pool,” he said. “If you saw my house, you’d think I’m a lawyer. I work really hard.”