Facing felony charges after an alleged assault of rival Colby Covington, UFC star Jorge Masvidal maintains his claim of innocence.
Masvidal was arrested March 23 days after an alleged assault of Covington took place outside of a Miami steakhouse and faces charges of aggravated battery and criminal mischief. Masvidal was quick to plead not guilty in court to the charges against him, but when asked in a recent interview about the alleged incident, he explained he doesn’t take lightly to people talking about his family – something Covington did in the lead-up to their UFC 272 bout in March.
“I come from a different place than many people and we walk differently in that place,” Masvidal told ESPN Deportes in Spanish. “I am not going to let anyone disrespect my family. I can’t talk much because I’m being charged with three felonies. I can only say that I am innocent.”
While Covington mentioned a third charge, Miami-Dade County court documents show a third charge of committing a crime while wearing a mask will not be pursued by the state.
The most recent comment is the third time Masvidal has spoken publicly about the incident. The first was immediately after the alleged incident took place, when Masvidal posted a video of himself addressing Covington. Days later, Masvidal joined a Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) call after he applied for a promoter’s license. The license application discussion was then postponed.
When asked by a commissioner about the incident, Masvidal admitted he had a, “mutual combatance [sic] with another athlete.”
Masvidal is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing Aug. 31.
