Professional super middleweight Edgar Berlanga was arrested in Polk County, Florida, on October 26 after police alleged he assaulted the mother of his child during an October 18 argument inside a vehicle.
According to a sworn police complaint affidavit and court records cited by ESPN, Uncrowned/Yahoo Sports, and TMZ, Berlanga, 29, and Genesis Maria Calderon were driving in the Lakeland area shortly after visiting a gun range. Authorities say an argument escalated. Police allege Berlanga struck Calderon with an open hand, then retrieved a pistol from a cupholder and hit her in the forehead with the magazine well of the firearm. She reportedly tried to exit the vehicle; Berlanga allegedly grabbed her left arm before she broke free, ran to a nearby 7-Eleven, and bystanders contacted police.
Responding officers observed swelling and bruising on her forehead consistent with the account, along with a torn shirt sleeve and a bruise on her left inner arm. Calderon told investigators the gun was real and that she had seen Berlanga fire it at the range about 20 minutes earlier. Reports indicate she did not want to press charges, but police arrested him anyway under domestic-violence protocols.
Berlanga faces one count of second-degree felony aggravated battery involving a deadly weapon and one count of first-degree misdemeanor battery (touch or strike). A judge set combined bond at $16,000 following his October 27 court appearance (via video in some accounts) at the Bartow Courthouse. His arraignment is scheduled for November 17 at 8:45 a.m. ET. A conviction on the felony could carry up to 15 years in prison; the misdemeanor carries up to one year. He has not been convicted and is presumed innocent.
The Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican-American fighter, nicknamed “The Chosen One,” holds a 24-2 record with 19 knockouts. He challenged Canelo Álvarez for the WBA, WBC, and WBO super-middleweight titles in September 2024, losing by unanimous decision, and is signed to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing. He scored a seventh-round TKO over Steven Butler in July 2026 at Madison Square Garden. Neither Berlanga nor Zuffa Boxing has issued a public statement as of the latest reporting.
