Jorge Masvidal pleads not guilty to alleged battery charge; set to appear in court on April 21
![Jorge Masvidal pleads not guilty [Photo credits: @MiamiBeachPD & @roshloweWPLG on Twitter]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/752bd-16481858741928-1920.jpg?w=500)
After his involvement in a dust-up with Colby Covington at a restaurant in Miami, Jorge Masvidal has entered a not guilty plea.
The UFC superstar was recently charged with aggravated battery and criminal mischief after he allegedly ambushed his rival and sucker-punched him twice at South Beach hotspot Papi Steak. Yesterday, a video of a handcuffed Masvidal being taken into custody made the rounds on social media.
Marc Raimondi of ESPN recently reported that Masvidal is no longer in police custody after he "made bond overnight." The Miami native is now set to appear in court on Thursday, April 21st, per online court records.
Check out the tweets below:
Jorge Masvidal made bond overnight in Miami and is no longer in custody. His first appearance in court will be April 21, per records. He is being charged with aggravated battery with bodily harm and criminal mischief, both felonies.
Also Thursday, Masvidal entered a written plea of not guilty in the battery case, where he is being accused of punching UFC rival Colby Covington outside a Miami Beach steakhouse Tuesday night.
Masvidal's not guilty plea was a curious decision as he basically admitted his wrongdoing. The 37-year-old took to social media Monday night to post a video of himself challenging Covington to show what his face looked like after the fight. 'Gamebred' has since deleted the video.
A police report obtained by ESPN indicated that Masvidal attacked an individual who lost some teeth during the assault. The report left out the victim's name, but online posts from Masvidal and his manager Malki Kawa imply that it was indeed Covington.
Colby Covington told police his $90,000 Rolex was damaged during Jorge Masvidal's attack
Colby Covington made a formal statement to Miami Beach police earlier this week. The two-time welterweight challenger moved forward with charges against Jorge Masvidal following the alleged ambush.
According to documents obtained by MMA Fighting, Covington confirmed that he suffered a fractured tooth and an abrasion on his wrist. The UFC superstar also reported an approximate $15,000 worth of damage to his $90,000 Rolex watch.
Covington and Masvidal have long been at odds with each other. The duo were former teammates and even housemates at one point. However, their friendship ended a few years back.
The welterweight contenders fought each other in the main event of UFC 272 earlier this month. Covington defeated Masvidal decisively after five rounds of action.