Volkan Oezdemir Releases Statement Regarding Arrest for Aggravated Battery in Florida
Volkan Oezdemir has broken his silence by way of his manager in a statement released after news broke on Sunday that he had been arrested for aggravated battery in Florida.
According to documents from the Broward County Sheriff’s Department, Oezdemir was arrested on Saturday and allowed to post $10,000 bond on Sunday to be released.
Now according to the light heavyweight’s manager, the arrest stemmed from an altercation in August and this was just a legal formality as he continues to wait for his day in court to defend himself.
The statement was first released to MMAJunkie on Sunday.
“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,” Oezdemir’s manager Fredric Englund said in the 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.”
UFC officials had released a previous statement after news of the arrest broke that they were aware of the situation with Oezdemir and were looking into his arrest but had no further details at the time.
The arrest seemingly came at the worst possible time for Oezdemir, who has been attached to potential fight against light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in early 2018.
Oezdemir burst onto the scene last year with three straight wins in the UFC including a pair of first round knockouts against Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa. There’s no word yet if this arrest and pending litigation could prevent Oezdemir from still receiving the fight with Cormier or not.
