Case has been replaced by Alex Martinez on the lightweight roster.
Former UFC and RIZIN fighter Johnny Case was supposed to be a part of the 2021 PFL lightweight tournament, but he has pulled out just days after news of his arrest was made public.
Case, who was booked last week on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge and is now out on bail, made his announcement on Instagram while also denying the allegations against him.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce I have been withdrawn from the PFL tournament,” Case said. “I am absolutely crushed. All of my hard work and sacrifices have been taken away from allegations that are not true. I want to thank the few friends and family members who have reached out to check on me. You don’t know how much that means to me. I’m sorry to my fans and supporters. I don’t know what the future will hold for my career. I will tell my side of the story when the time is right but right now I just want to be with my family and do what I can to get by in the mean time.”
Details of the arrest are scarce but TMZ reported that the suspected victim is a women’s MMA fighter.
Initially scheduled to fight Loik Radzhabov on April 23, Case (27-7-1) has been replaced by the undefeated Alex Martinez (7-0, 1 NC). As of this writing it is not yet known if Case’s PFL contract will also be terminated, but at the moment we know he won’t be in the tournament anymore.