UFC's Alistair Overeem reportedly charged with misdemeanor battery in Las Vegas

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Alistair Overeem has an impending court showdown with former management group Golden Glory, but that won't be the only reason he goes to court in Las Vegas in the coming months.

According to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Overeem has been charged with one count of misdemeanor battery stemming from an incident in a Vegas casino after his win over Brock Lesnar in December.

Overeem was issued a citation by police, which states that around 3AM on Jan. 2, Overeem pushed or shoved a woman in the face, "causing her to stagger back." Overeem was not arrested on scene, and this appears to be a case of charges being pressed after the case.

The UFC's new number one contender in the heavyweight division is scheduled to appear in court on February 21.

"Alistair was not arrested, but was summoned to court," his attorney David Chesnoff said. "There are two sides to this story and we intend on vigorously defending this. Alistair maintains his innocence."

If Overeem is convicted of the charge, he could face up to six months in county jail and a fine up to $1,000.

Penick's Analysis: Sounds like a drunken altercation that may have gotten slightly out of hand. With two sides to be presented here, it's going to come down to if there's any video evidence from security cameras at the casino to see if anything more comes of it. With it being a minor charge, Overeem having what the original report described as a "famed Las Vegas lawyer," and a lot more money after beating Brock Lesnar, I wouldn't expect much to come from this, but it will certainly be something the UFC will be following until it's taken care of.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_12340.shtml

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