Jorge Masvidal pleaded not guilty after being charged with aggravated battery and criminal mischief following the alleged attack on Colby Covington.
Online court records obtained by MMA Fighting showed Masvidal pleaded not guilty along with a demand for a jury trial after he was arrested late Wednesday night by Miami Beach police.
The next hearing in the Masvidal case is scheduled for 9:00 am ET on Thursday, April 21.
The veteran UFC welterweight is charged with two separate felony charges related to the alleged attack on Covington. A more serious charge is aggravated battery while wearing a mask, which can result in up to 15 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
Masvidal is also facing felony charges after Covington told police that $15,000 worth of damage was caused by a $90,000 Rolex he was wearing during an argument. In Florida, criminal mischief of more than $1,000 is considered a felony of the third degree.
Masvidal was taken into custody and later released on $15,000 bail after he allegedly assaulted Covington outside Papi Steak Restaurant in Miami Beach on Monday night.
According to a police report, a victim in the case, identified by MMA Fighting as Covington, told authorities that he identified Masvidal from the sound of his voice and hair sticking out from under his sweatshirt while wearing a blue surgical mask. .
Covington told police that Masvidal had yelled “You shouldn’t have been talking about my kids” during the alleged attack. According to the police report, he ended up with a broken tooth and an abraded wrist as a result of an argument. Covington then made a sworn statement to the Miami Beach Police Criminal Investigation Unit bringing charges against Masvidal, leading to Masvidal’s arrest on Wednesday.
Masvidal has not directly responded to the allegations, although he did mention his legal problems during a meeting with the Nevada Athletic Commission on Wednesday, where he applied for a promoter’s license in the state.
“Right now I had an overall fight with another athlete, and you know, I can’t talk much about it, but if we could [the application] for later it would be amazing,” said Masvidal, speaking to the commission.
The only ever UFC champion “BMF” also released a video immediately after the alleged attack, in which he added: “You’re saying this shit, you have to confirm it. This is how my city rolls.
When Masvidal was taken into custody on Wednesday night, police noted that he had injuries to his right arm and also received stitches to close the wound.
Since Masvidal has posted bail, he will remain out of jail as he awaits his next hearing in April.