Former UFC fighter arrested, charged with assault on law enforcement officer

Tony Martin (aka Anthony Rocco Martin), who fought for the UFC between 2014-2020, and last competed under the CES banner, was arrested on December…

By: Trent Reinsmith | 9 months ago
Former UFC fighter arrested, charged with assault on law enforcement officer
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

Tony Martin (aka Anthony Rocco Martin), who fought for the UFC between 2014-2020, and last competed under the CES banner, was arrested on December 21, 2022, in Bonita Springs, Florida. Deputies charged Martin with assault on a law enforcement officer.

According to police reports obtained by Bloody Elbow, deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to an abandoned 911 call (whereby a caller hangs up before speaking to the dispatcher) at an address in Bonita Springs. The report notes that the deputies had “just previously been at this location for a verbal disturbance.”

Once deputies arrived at the Bonita Springs address, they encountered a crying “white female” in a black Ford Expedition. The woman informed the deputies that “she just wanted to leave.”

While speaking to the woman, a “white male,” who was later identified as Martin, approached the deputies in the residence’s front yard. The report says Martin “appeared inebriated” and told the deputies to “get off my f–king property right now.”

When told by the deputies that an active investigation was underway, Martin reportedly responded, “I don’t care, and if you touch me, I will kick your ass.”

According to the report, Martin then “continued to escalate yelling and shouting statements such as, ‘I hate cops and you can suck my dick.’”

At that point, deputies reportedly restrained Martin after his “continuous attempts to square up face to face, in an aggressive posture with Deputies.”

While restrained, Martin reportedly said to one of the deputies, “You think you’re a bad man, if you take me out of these cuffs’ I will kick your ass.”

The report says the deputy later discovered Martin was a mixed martial artist and that because of the statements from Martin, the deputy “was in fear of physical harm from Martin.”

Martin was arrested and booked into the Lee County Justice Center at 5:16 am. He was bonded out of custody later that day, with a bail set at $5,000.

A hearing on the misdemeanor charge was scheduled for January 10, 2023, but Martin’s lawyer filed a request for a jury trial on a not-guilty plea. As a result, Martin remains free on $5,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear before a judge on February 22, 2023.

Martin was previously arrested in Las Vegas. In November 2021, he was charged with lewd/dissolute conduct in a public place after he reportedly punched a security guard in the throat after he was confronted for urinating in a hallway at Caesars Palace.

Share this story

About the author
Trent Reinsmith
Trent Reinsmith

Trent Reinsmith is a freelance writer based out of Baltimore, MD. He has been covering sports for more than 15 years, with a focus on MMA for most of that time. Trent focuses on the day-to-day business of MMA — both inside and outside the cage — for Bloody Elbow.

More from the author

Bloody Elbow Podcast
Related Stories