Luis Pena accused of punching partner, other woman with ‘closed fist’ in latest incident

UFC lightweight Luis Pena is accused of striking two women, including his partner, and injuring them during a dispute that led to his second arrest this year.

Pena, 28, allegedly struck his partner of over one year “multiple times with a closed fist” and continued striking her on the ground, leaving minor abrasions on the top of her left hand, left wrist and “an alleged bite mark to her left knee region” during the dispute in Deerfield Beach, Fla., according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by MMA Fighting from the Broward County court database.

A second woman allegedly witnessed the assault and attempted to intervene, at which point Pena allegedly struck her with a closed fist, knocking her to the ground. The blow caused a purple contusion and laceration to the second woman’s right elbow, per the affidavit.

Deerfield Beach Police took the statement of the alleged victims and found probable cause to arrest Pena, who was booked this past Saturday into Broward County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor charges of battery and domestic violence. As of Tuesday afternoon, a search for the fighter on the jail database returned no results, indicating he posted the $6,000 bond on which he was held. Pena’s attorney of record, Daniel Martinez Jr., was not immediately reachable for comment.

On the night of the alleged assault, Pena posted a picture of himself and a woman on Instagram. He has been issued a no-contact order with the defendants in the case. After his arrest in June on charges of robbery, battery, and criminal mischief for allegedly assaulting his partner, he was also issued a no-contact order with a woman, whose name MMA Fighting is withholding.

Two days after the alleged June assault, Pena tweeted he was going through serious mental health issues and would get help. The UFC said it was aware the fighter was dealing with substance and mental health issues and wouldn’t book him a fight. The promotion declined comment on his most recent arrest.

The charges in June added to a separate domestic battery charge from an alleged incident in May involving Pena’s partner, but the woman filed an affidavit with prosecutors signaling she didn’t want to move forward with either case.

Pena (9-3) hasn’t competed in the octagon since a split decision win over Alexander Munoz in April. A veteran of The Ultimate Fighter 27, he carries a 5-3 UFC record.

Several UFC fighters have been accused of domestic violence in the past month including former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell. In 2015, HBO Sports reported the national rate of domestic violence incidents involving MMA fighters is double that of the general population.