Edgar Berlanga

Introduction

Edgar Berlanga is a Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican super middleweight who signed a multi-fight contract with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing promotion earlier this year after previously competing under the Matchroom Boxing banner — and who was arrested in Florida on October 26, 2026, on a felony aggravated battery charge after authorities say he struck and pistol-whipped the mother of his child during an argument inside a moving car . The 29-year-old turned himself in, spent one night in custody, and was released after a judge set his combined bond at $16,000; he is due in court for arraignment on November 17 .

Background Information

Berlanga built a 24-2 professional record with 19 knockouts, with his two defeats coming against Canelo Alvarez and Hamzah Sheeraz . His biggest match came on September 14, 2024, when he shared a Las Vegas ring with Alvarez and lost by unanimous decision; he has since compiled a 2-1 record . His Zuffa Boxing promotional debut came in July, when he overcame an early knockdown against Steven Butler to win by seventh-round stoppage . He resides in Lithia, Florida, in the Tampa Bay area .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Charged with felony aggravated battery; released on bond — no conviction, and no public response from him yet. Berlanga faces one count of battery (touch or strike), a first-degree misdemeanor, and one count of aggravated battery, a second-degree felony. He turned himself in and was released the next day on $16,000 combined bond. He has not publicly addressed the arrest, and the charges are unadjudicated: he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty .

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the New York Post, Berlanga and the mother of his child were driving down an interstate in Polk County, Florida, on October 18 when the two got into an argument and he “began hitting her with an open hand” . The affidavit states he “then retrieved a pistol from the cupholder and stuck her in the forehead with the magazine well of it,” and that when she tried to leave the vehicle, “Berlanga grabbed her by the left arm and attempted to pull her back in” . The woman eventually broke free and ran toward a nearby 7-Eleven, where witnesses called authorities on her behalf .

Officers who responded wrote in the affidavit that they “observed swelling and bruising” on the woman’s forehead, a tear on her shirt sleeve, and “an apparent bruise on her left inner arm” . Court records show a warrant for Berlanga’s arrest was issued on October 23, and jail records show he turned himself in to the Lakeland Police Department on Monday, October 26 . He appeared before a judge at the Bartow Courthouse on Tuesday, where bail was set at a combined $16,000, was formally charged with the two battery counts, and was released from custody that same day .

Public Reaction and Consequences

The arrest landed on a fighter at the center of a promotional build-up, with outlets noting the Zuffa Boxing headliner now faces a felony aggravated battery count in addition to the misdemeanor . A message seeking comment from his attorney was not immediately returned, and as of this writing Berlanga has not issued any statement addressing the arrest or the charges; neither has his promotion . No fight has been announced for him since the arrest, and any matchup plans now sit behind a November court date.

Current Status

Berlanga is out of custody on bond and is scheduled for arraignment at 8:45 a.m. on November 17, 2026, when he will be formally advised of the charges and given the opportunity to enter a plea . The aggravated battery count is a second-degree felony under Florida law; the misdemeanor battery count is a first-degree misdemeanor . He has not entered a plea, has made no public statement, and remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Berlanga’s marketability was built on the Canelo Alvarez main event and his rebirth as a Zuffa Boxing signee; the arrest replaces that narrative with a booking photo, a $16,000 bond and an arraignment calendar entry . For a promoter that has made discipline part of its pitch, the case now tests how Zuffa Boxing handles a headliner charged with abusing the mother of his child — and whether his ring career pauses while his case moves through Polk County courts .

Sources

• “Edgar Berlanga charged with aggravated battery after allegedly pistol-whipping mom of his child” — New York Post: source
• “Zuffa Boxing fighter Edgar Berlanga arrested, charged with felony battery in Florida” — MMA Mania: source
• “Edgar Berlanga Faces November Arraignment After Battery Arrest” — Boxing 24/7: source
• NY Post on X, October 28, 2026: source