Philip Rowe was once considered among the UFC’s top welterweight prospects. However, the promotion decided to part ways with the Orlando native after his loss to Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani in February, his fourth in five fights. Well, the 36-year-old quickly shrugged off the setback and attempted a return in a different promotion at Island Fights 97 in May. While he got the much-needed win over Jacob Kilburn, he has now found a new adversary in Florida’s law enforcement department.

The axed UFC fighter uploaded a video on his Instagram yesterday showing Orlando PD pulling him over. In the clip, police officers, standing beside a white car, can be seen taking off the cuffs that they had likely put on the former UFC fighter minutes before. This was, in all likelihood, a result of them realizing Rowe’s innocence. In the video’s caption, Rowe explained that officers had stopped him over a modified exhaust and proceeded to slam them over how the interaction went. 

“The number of times I’ve been pulled over in Orlando, especially in my own neighborhood, is ridiculous,” Philip Rowe wrote. “I’m not a felon. I donate my time to this city. I train multiple police officers and SWAT members for free. Every year I personally fund a sneaker drive and toy drive for kids. Today I was pulled over for a ‘modified exhaust.’ I had already parked at a gas station before the officer initiated the stop, so I got out of my car. I was legally carrying my firearm in my chest bag, so I immediately removed it and handed it to the little nerd.

“He started yelling, telling me to get back in the car. I calmly told him, ‘I’m already outside the car. You have my firearm. If I’ve broken the law, write me a ticket so I can go.’ I stayed respectful and calm the entire time. Instead, I was put in handcuffs for supposedly not following commands.”

From the uploaded video, it appeared that the police briefly placed Rowe in handcuffs. However, the former UFC fighter’s Instagram post further explained that officers began removing the handcuffs after realizing that someone was recording it.

“Then someone across the parking lot yelled, ‘You want me to send you the video, bro?!’ Immediately, they removed the handcuffs,” he noted. “Then I was told they weren’t writing me a ticket. They just wanted to ‘lecture’ me.”

As of now, it’s unclear why the authorities ultimately chose not to issue him a ticket. However, as Rowe mentioned, this isn’t the first time the cops have pulled him over.

Back in 2022, authorities stopped him and asked for his license and registration. In response, the Brooklyn native panned the camera to his waist, showing his black belt, which made the interaction all the more confusing. Still, since he has been on the receiving end of this situation multiple times, it was evident to him what was at the heart of it all. While reflecting on the incident, he proceeded to quote Kanye West in the caption.

“No thanks. I’m not looking for a lecture. If I broke the law, write the ticket. If I didn’t, let me go,” he added. “The result? No ticket. No warning. No paperwork. They simply drove away. This keeps happening, and it’s hard not to see a pattern! What Kanye said, ‘Even if you in a Benz, you still a n—a in a coupe .’”

For those who may not understand, Philip Rowe was quoting Kanye West’s hit song All Falls Down, a track from his iconic 2004 album The College Dropout where he stated the famous line. The track explores several sensitive themes, including consumerism, status symbols, and most notably systemic racism. For that, the former UFC fighter likely felt he had been subjected to unfair treatment as a result of his race. 

That said, having a modified exhaust isn’t inherently illegal in the United States, provided it remains within the permitted decibel limit. For now, it’s unclear whether Rowe’s exhaust exceeded that threshold. However, when it comes to facing trouble over a modified exhaust, the axed UFC star isn’t alone.

UFC Legend Jon Jones pulled over by police over alleged drag racing 

Jon Jones has a troublesome relationship with cars that has often landed him in difficult situations. Following his infamous 2015 hit-and-run case, the former two-division UFC champion found himself embroiled in another controversy the following year. Police pulled over ‘Bones’ in his home state of Albuquerque, New Mexico, for allegedly violating multiple traffic laws, including alleged drag racing, exhibition driving, failure to maintain his lane, an obstructed license plate, and a modified exhaust violation.

Later, police also released bodycam footage in which Jones accused the officers of “harassing” him while denying that he had been drag racing.

“I cannot wait for you to prove that I was drag racing, because I know for a fact that I wasn’t,” Jones said. “But nice try.”

After the incident, Jones appeared on The MMA Hour and clarified that he had been driving home from dinner when he noticed some fans. According to Jones, he revved his engine to entertain them, and once the traffic light turned green, officers pulled him over.

With that, it became clear that whether it’s an axed UFC fighter or one of the sport’s greatest legends, law enforcement can come for anyone.