Oezdemir's team releases statement on aggravated battery charges

After UFC light heavyweight contender Volkan Oezdemir was arrested on aggravated battery charges in Florida over the weekend, his manager Frederic Englund claimed the allegations stem from an August "bar room altercation" he did not instigate in a statement obtained by 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. 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 fighter was arrested in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday in relation to an altercation with a man named Kevin Cohen outside a bar named Capone's on Aug. 12, according to an incident report obtained by MMA Fighting's Marc Raimondi.

Cohen reportedly told police he'd exited the bar upon learning that his friend had been knocked out in an altercation with another man. When asked who was responsible for the incident, Cohen claimed he was hit in the face as soon as he'd looked up. He further alleged the blow had rendered him unconscious for 14 minutes and that he required treatment for concussion symptoms and lacerations once he was taken to hospital. Several of the bars' patrons later told Cohen it was Oezdemir who'd delivered the punch.

Oezdemir has only been charged for the alleged altercation with Cohen and not with his friend, Sergio Sandoval, who could not be reached in an investigation conducted by Fort Lauderdale police, Raimondi reports.

The fighter's attorney, Bruce Zimet, maintained Oezdemir did not instigate the altercation during his bond hearing on Sunday.

Oezdemir, a Swiss native, has been training in Florida at Henri Hooft's Combat Club, and is expected to challenge Daniel Cormier for the UFC light heavyweight title in early 2018.

The UFC is reportedly looking into the contender's arrest.