Ex-UFC fighter accused of punching security in Las Vegas casino

A former UFC fighter was arrested after urinating inside a Las Vegas casino and punching a security guard, according to an arrest report released Tuesday.

When security guards at Caesars Palace attempted to speak to 31-year-old Anthony Rocco Martin just after midnight Saturday, he refused to show his driver’s license and became “very irate,” the Metropolitan Police Department said.

Security guards tried to remove Martin from the casino and police said Martin punched a security guard in the throat, the report stated.

Detectives reviewed security footage that confirmed Martin urinated in a hallway and punched the security guard, according to the report.

Martin, who is a Las Vegas resident, told Metro he was racially profiled. Police said they suspect he was intoxicated.

Martin announced in January that he was a free agent after nearly seven years with the UFC.

He was jailed on charges of battery and lewd conduct in a public place, according to court records. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 19.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.