The father of MMA fighter Jorge Masvidal has been arrested after shooting a man at his son's home. First reported by TMZ, Jorge Masvidal Sr. was booked at around 1:30am on May 5. According to the arrest report, Masvidal Sr. shot Luis Leoncini at Masvidal Jr.'s Florida residence after a verbal altercation. Masvidal Jr. was not in the house at the time. Furthermore, police has reiterated that Masvidal Jr. had "no involvement whatsoever" with the May 4 altercation.
Masvidal Sr. has been charged with second-degree attempted murder with a deadly weapon. He was initially arrested at around 3:25pm on May 4. A subsequent search of the home found a .38 pistol in a kitchen cabinet. Police did not release details about what the altercation stemmed from. According to police, Leoncini was shot in both arms by Masvidal Sr. after their verbal argument.
More Legal Trouble for The Masvidal Family
The arrest of Masvidal Sr. comes while his son, who again was not present at the time of the reported shooting, also faces legal issues. In March 2022, Masvidal Jr. reportedly assaulted fellow MMA fighter Colby Covington in Miami. The alleged incident came just weeks after Covington had beaten Masvidal at UFC 272. Masvidal Jr. was charged with a number of felonies, while Covington claimed he had lost a tooth and suffered brain damage. Covington has not fought professionally since the alleged attack last March. However, in March 2023, Dana White confirmed Covington would be the next opponent of Leon Edwards.
Masvidal Jr. has since hit back over the allegations, claiming there was an element of police favoritism towards Covington during the incident. Masvidal Jr. is scheduled to have a hearing about his case this month. Furthermore, Masvidal Jr. has not issued a public statement over the events that took place at his house on May 4. Masvidal Jr. retired from MMA after losing to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in April 2023. Follow HotNewHipHop for all the latest updates in this case.
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