November 6, 2023
Legal resolution: Masvidal pleads no contest
On November 6, 2023 Jorge Masvidal accepted a plea deal in the case stemming from the March 21, 2022 Miami Beach incident, pleading no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge while two felony counts were dropped; reporting states he received credit for time served [6].
Quick Facts
What Happened
The criminal case arising from the March 21, 2022 incident outside Papi Steak concluded in court on November 6, 2023 when Jorge Masvidal entered a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor battery charge, according to ESPN reporting on the disposition [6]. Per the reported plea agreement, prosecutors dropped two felony counts (aggravated battery and criminal mischief), and Masvidal received credit for time served; court records and reporting confirmed the status of the plea and sentence terms as recorded by the judge [6]. Coverage of the plea included commentary from Masvidal’s legal team: Bradford Cohen, an attorney for Masvidal, posted on Instagram calling the case "bulls---," a characterization reported by ESPN in its story on the plea [6]. The plea resolved the criminal track without a jury trial and removed the two felony counts from Masvidal’s record under the terms described in reporting [6].
What They Said
“This case was bulls---,”
Why It Matters
The plea closes the formal legal chapter of the off-site physical conflict by resolving charges without a felony conviction for Masvidal, which affects both fighters' public records and the legal status of the dispute. It also formalizes the case outcome in court records—shifting the incident from an ongoing criminal matter into a resolved case—and is a notable milestone in a rivalry that had produced both sporting and legal consequences [6].
What Happened Next
Following the plea on November 6, 2023, media coverage noted that the two felony counts were dropped and Masvidal received credit for time served; his legal team framed the outcome as a favorable resolution in public statements reported by ESPN [6]. As of that reporting, no public reconciliation between Masvidal and Covington had been documented, and both fighters continued their separate professional and personal activities outside the case [6][3]. The plea concluded the court proceedings tied directly to the March 21, 2022 incident, although public commentary and social-media posts around the event remained part of the broader rivalry narrative [6].