UFC fighter forced to cut his beard before UFC 206

UFC newcomer Emil Meek has one of the best beards in all of MMA. Too bad he won’t get to show if off on fight night thanks to the Ontario Athletic Commission’s rules on facial hair.

Meek is set to face off against UFC vet Jordan Mein on the UFC 206 main card in Toronto, Canada. But the Ontario Athletic Commission is forcing Meek to shave his beard in order to comply with their rule that fighters must be “cleanly shaven immediately prior to competition” with the exception of a “closely cropped mustache.”

A disappointed Meek took to Facebook to express his displeasure in a profanity laden post but says he agreed to cut his trademark beard because he really wants to fight. He posted an ode to his beard on Twitter shortly after that.

Meek is on a three-fight winning streak and is coming off a win over former UFC submission specialist Rousimar Palhares. He’s 5-foot-11, about 170 pounds with blue eyes and he fights on the first fight on the UFC 206 main card … just in case you don’t recognize him from the bearded fellow pictured above.