Former Bellator featherweight champion Daniel Straus was arrested this past Friday and charged with a single felony count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after allegedly beating and stabbing his on-again, off-again partner.
Straus was booked into the Broward County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 6, according to online arrest records, and his bond was set at $100,000. He appeared in court this past Saturday for a preliminary hearing, per the South Florida Sun Sentinel, and was ordered not to have contact with the alleged victim and not to posses any weapons or ammunition.
At his hearing on Saturday, the overseeing judge declined to lower Straus’ bond. Pressed on why, she said, “If he’s a professional athlete, he can get a bond for $10,000.” As of Monday afternoon, he was still in jail.
In a prepared statement, a Bellator official told MMA Fighting, “Bellator is aware of the situation and has been in contact with his team. The organization has no additional comment at this time.”
A warrant was drafted for Straus’ arrest on Jan. 28 after an alleged incident that took place on Jan. 21, according to an arrest affidavit attached to the warrant by a Hollywood (Fla.) Police Department detective.
According to the affidavit, Straus showed up unannounced to the alleged victim’s place of work after they argued via text over “infidelity issues in their relationship.” They went to her car in the parking lot, and at one point she got into the vehicle to separate herself, only to have Straus follow her. After exiting, Straus followed her, and the argument allegedly turned violent when he shoved her and she shoved him back.
Per the affidavit, the alleged victim then got back in her car to drive away, and that’s when Straus struck her on the right side of the face and then struck her multiple times, causing her to fall to the ground. She fought back, and Straus eventually left in his vehicle.
The affidavit notes Straus is a two-time featherweight MMA champion.
As she drove back to her house, she told police Straus called her and said he was at her apartment. Fearful he would destroy her belongings, she drove to his apartment to get a spare key he had. When she arrived, he had apparently decided instead to go back to his apartment, and the two had a confrontation over the key.
Straus allegedly became angry after the victim said she didn’t want to talk to him and just wanted to be “done with the situation.” At that point, he allegedly began pushing her out of his apartment.
During the initial argument, the alleged victim told police Straus had told her, “You don’t know me, I’ll stab you” and indicated he had a knife. As she was being pushed out of his doorway, she said, “You’re big and bad. What are you going to do, stab me?”
Straus then produced an unknown sharp object and stabbed her in the abdomen so quickly she could not identify it, per the arrest affidavit. He followed her briefly as she fled, fearing for her life, before he went back into his apartment. She drove to a neighbor’s house and was taken to a local hospital.
The arrest affidavit states the alleged victim had a large contusion to her right eye and a puncture wound on her lower right abdomen. She initially declined to speak to a detective responding to the incident, but later said she would cooperate and press charges, fearing he would harm her if she didn’t report him to police.
Straus previously was arrested in 2013 on traffic and drug charges; he was charged with possession of over 20 grams of cannabis, MDMA/ecstasy and drug paraphernalia. In a 2012 interview with ESPN, he said he served three years in prison on a robbery charge.
A 2017 motorcycle accident derailed Straus’ MMA career. He underwent extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation for two years until he returned to the Bellator cage in 2019. After winning his comeback fight by submission, he was eliminated from the Bellator featherweight grand prix in the opening round by Derek Campos. He has not fought professionally since.