UFC light-heavyweight title hopeful Volkan Oezdemir has been charged with aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Oezdemir’s manager Frederic Englund issued a statement after the news broke, revealing that his arrest was in relation to an altercation at a bar that occured back in August.
“Volkan Oezdemir appeared in a Ft. Lauderdale, Florida courtroom Sunday morning in response to allegations from an incident in a Ft. Lauderdale bar on August 12, 2017,” Englund said in a statement. “Mr. Oezdemir was accompanied by his attorney Bruce A. Zimet. Following a brief hearing (before) a Broward County Circuit judge, Mr. Oezdemir was granted a $10,000 bond during the pendency of his case. Mr. Zimet, a former federal prosecutor, described the incident that formed the basis of the case as nothing more than a bar room altercation in which Mr. Oezdemir, who was not the aggressor, was totally justified in all of his actions pursuant to Florida law.
“Mr. Oezdemir expressed his faith in the America judicial system and looks forward to all of the facts involved in the August 12, 2017 incident being made public. Mr. Oezdemir has full confidence that when the full picture is presented that he will be totally vindicated.”
The 28-year-old Oezdemir has exceeded expectations to become a major player in the UFC’s light-heavyweight division in 2017, winning three fights in a row against quality opposition in Ovince Saint Preux, Misha Cirkunov and Glover Teixeira – the latter two of which he finished by way of first round knockout.
That’s led to Oezdemir quickly rising to the No.2 contender spot in the division and it was heavily rumored in recent weeks that he was close to being granted a title shot against current champion Daniel Cormier.
