Volkan Oezdemir will head into next month’s light heavyweight title bout against Daniel Cormier with criminal proceedings hanging over his head.
The state of Florida will pursue felony charges against the Swiss fighter stemming from a bar room altercation last August in which Oezdemir was charged with the second degree felony of aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability. The 28-year-old was charged in November.
It is alleged that the UFC title challenger struck and knocked out a man following a disagreement in a Fort Lauderdale bar.
As per MMA Fighting, Oezdemir is due to be arraigned in Broward County Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court on January 9th, just 11 days before his title bout opposite the UFC’s 205-pound champion Daniel Cormier.
Oezdemir, nicknamed ‘No Time’, exploded into UFC title contention with a pair of stunning knockouts against Jimi Manuwa and Misha Cirkunov last summer. He made his debut under the UFC banner in February of last year with a short notice split decision victory against Ovince St. Preux.
Oezdemir’s legal counsel has suggested that the UFC fighter wasn’t the instigator in the incident and that his client will be cleared of any and all wrong-doing once all of the facts come to light.
Felony battery carries a maximum five-year sentence under Florida law.
