The UFC has released fighter Luis Pena following two arrests related to domestic violence since June.
In a statement provided to ESPN through a spokesperson, the UFC said it is aware of the “disturbing allegations” regarding Pena’s arrest Saturday on two charges of battery and thinks that Pena’s personal and legal issues should be his focus before he competes again.
“At this time, UFC believes Mr. Pena needs to deal with the health and legal issues in front of him, and consequently has informed Mr. Pena’s management that his promotional agreement has been terminated,” the statement read.
The statement added that Pena “has been open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse issues” and the UFC has “on multiple occasions attempted to help him get professional treatment.”
Pena, 28, was arrested Saturday on charges of battery causing bodily harm and battery domestic violence, both misdemeanors, according to a Broward County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. He was released on $6,000 bond on Monday.
Pena also was arrested in June on domestic violence-related charges. Following that arrest, sources said the UFC went as far as to advance Pena a sum of money in the five figures to help him get treatment.
In his latest arrest over the weekend, Pena is being accused of striking his girlfriend in the face multiple times with a closed fist and continuing to hit her while she was on the ground, per the probable cause affidavit obtained by ESPN on Monday from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Pena also allegedly struck another woman who attempted to intervene in the left eye with a closed fist.
“This was a bad case,” UFC president Dana White said Tuesday. “We knew that he had problems before that we were trying to help him with. And this is a pretty nasty one. I don’t know if you guys read the police report, but yeah. This one had to happen.”
Pena is 9-3 as a pro MMA fighter with a 5-3 UFC record.