Jamie O'Brien, 33, has admitted to punching former two-time super-featherweight champion Joe Cordina outside a Texaco garage in Pentwyn, Cardiff. Cordina, 34, denied two charges of assault by beating Mr. O'Brien and is scheduled to stand trial in October.
O'Brien pleaded guilty to assaulting Cordina. He was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay court costs and a surcharge. At the time of the incident in February, O'Brien was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis and was later detained under the Mental Health Act.
South Wales police arrested both men after the incident was reported on February 27. Video footage shared online appears to show a man in a pink hoodie barging into another man exiting the store, who then engages in a fight and lands punches, causing the first man to fall. Cordina is seen in video footage punching a man outside the petrol station.
Cordina's legal troubles extend beyond this incident. He was previously set to fight for the WBO lightweight title in the United States on July 4, but his US visa was refused. In an Instagram story in June, Cordina explained that the US embassy in London denied him a visa, forcing the cancellation of his bout against Abdullah Mason in Cleveland. He expressed his disappointment, stating it was his opportunity to become a three-time, two-weight world champion.
Cordina has a professional boxing record of 19-1 with nine knockouts. He represented Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, winning a bronze medal, and secured a gold medal at the 2015 European Championships. He also competed for Team GB at the 2016 Olympics.