Edgar Berlanga was arrested on Oct. 26 by the Lakeland Police Department in Polk County, Florida, and charged with misdemeanor battery and felony aggravated battery, Uncrowned reports. The charges stem from an incident that allegedly took place on Oct. 18.
Berlanga appeared in court Tuesday at the Bartow Courthouse, where a judge set his bail at a combined $16,000, according to court records obtained by Uncrowned. His arraignment is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. on Nov. 17, when he will hear the charges and formally enter a plea.
The battery count is a first-degree misdemeanor under Florida Statute 784.03 and carries a maximum sentence of one year. The aggravated battery count is a second-degree felony under Section 784.045, and a conviction on that charge could bring up to 15 years in prison.
Berlanga has only been charged, not convicted. The initial report did not include comment from Berlanga’s camp or from Zuffa Boxing.
The Nuyorican super middleweight (24-2, 19 KOs) last fought in July, headlining Zuffa Boxing 9 at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden. He got up from an early knockdown and stopped Steven Butler in the seventh round.
His biggest night came in 2024, when he challenged Canelo Alvarez for the WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles and lost a unanimous decision. He recently gave a confident prediction for Canelo vs. Mbilli ahead of Saturday’s fight in Riyadh.
The arrest comes days after Zuffa Boxing parted ways with Shakur Stevenson, a split Dana White has since addressed publicly. The promotion has not commented on Berlanga’s case.
