by David P. Greisman

Mark Melligen — a Filipino welterweight whose last appearance on American television was a July 2011 loss to Sebastian Lujan — has been arrested in the Philippines after allegedly being caught using shabu, or methamphetamine, according to the Cebu Daily News.

Police found the 27-year-old on June 20 while they were arresting two other men for allegedly selling the drug.

Melligen was seen sniffing the drug, police said, and officers found in his possession “aluminum foil strips with traces of suspected shabu, a disposable lighter and an improvised tooter,” according to the article.

He said “he has been struggling financially and has been homeless since losing” the Lujan bout, the article said.

Melligan fought twice after suffering that defeat, winning a pair of bouts in 2012 in the Philippines. His last appearance was in September, a second-round technical knockout that brought his record to 23-3 with 16 knockouts.

David P. Greisman is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow David on Twitter @fightingwords2 or send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com