Michigan Panthers receiver Samson Nacua suspended one game for incident with fan
Detroit ― The United Football League has suspended Michigan Panthers receiver Samson Nacua for one game following an incident involving a fan at this weekend's game in St. Louis.
The official announcement came down from the league Tuesday afternoon, following Saturday night's game at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, where Nacua was caught on a cell-phone camera slapping a fan.
The incident happened after the Panthers' 32-27 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Insane: UFL player Samson Nacua SLAPPED a fan in the face during a postgame altercation.
😳😳😳
Puka Nacua's brother could be in serious trouble. pic.twitter.com/CgyCCgzui8— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 27, 2025
"You want to have the full story on what happened," Panthers head coach Mike Nolan said Tuesday. "Nonetheless, we did it the wrong way in retaliating, and Samson knows that you don't retaliate.
"It's just not the right thing to do."
Nacua will be suspended without pay, the league said, costing him about $6,200. As part of the punishment, Nacua has agreed to participate in a community-service events organized by the league, said Daryl Johnston, UFL executive vice president of football operations.
It wasn't immediately known if the St. Louis fan was facing any repercussions from the team.
Nacua, 27, had three catches for 46 yards in Saturday's loss, which dropped the Panthers to 3-2, halfway through the season. He will miss this Sunday's game against the D.C. Defenders (4-1), a team with one of the top defenses in the league, at Ford Field in Detroit.
Nacua, the older brother of Los Angeles Rams star receiver Puka Nacua, has seven receptions for 116 yards through the Panthers' first five games. He's third on the team in receiving yards.
Nacua and brother Kai, 30, made headlines in the Panthers' season-opening win at Ford Field. In that game, both scored a touchdown, Samson on a 25-yard catch and Kai on an 80-yard interception return.
"They're extremely quality people," Nolan said Tuesday. "(Samson) did something I'm sure he regrets."
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan Panthers receiver Samson Nacua suspended one game for incident with fan
