Edgar Berlanga Arrested in Florida, Faces Felony Aggravated Battery Charge

Super middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga is facing criminal charges in Florida after his arrest by the Lakeland Police Department in Polk County. Court-record reporting says Berlanga was arrested October 26 and charged with first-degree misdemeanor battery and second-degree felony aggravated battery in connection with an alleged October 18 incident. The charges became public Tuesday night and were subsequently confirmed by multiple boxing and sports outlets.

Berlanga appeared in court Tuesday, where combined bail was reportedly set at $16,000. His arraignment is scheduled for November 17. Details surrounding the alleged incident remain limited, and Berlanga has not been convicted of either charge. As of Wednesday morning, neither Berlanga nor Zuffa Boxing had publicly announced how the case might affect his boxing schedule.

The legal situation arrives at an important point in Berlanga’s career. The 29-year-old is 24-2 with 19 knockouts and signed with Zuffa Boxing earlier this year. In July, he made his promotional debut at Madison Square Garden’s Theater, recovering from a knockdown to stop Steven Butler in the seventh round. No next fight had been announced. The immediate boxing question now is whether the pending case affects Berlanga’s availability while the legal process moves toward his November arraignment.