Former three-division boxing champion Gervonta Davis was taken into custody on Wednesday evening in Miami’s Design District, ending a two-week search by law enforcement after an arrest warrant was issued in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident at a local strip club last fall.
Davis, 30, faces charges of battery, false imprisonment, and attempted kidnapping stemming from an October 27 confrontation with his ex-girlfriend at a Miami Gardens establishment where she worked as a VIP cocktail server.
Miami Gardens Police Department, working in conjunction with the United States Marshals fugitive task force, conducted an extensive three-county surveillance operation before locating and apprehending Davis without incident. He was processed at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 10 p.m. Wednesday, according to jail records.
The arrest comes two weeks after a judge signed the warrant on January 14, suggesting investigators had gathered sufficient evidence to establish probable cause for the serious charges.
According to the police report, Davis entered the strip club on October 27 and confronted the victim, identified in civil proceedings as Courtney Rossel. Law enforcement alleges Davis forced the woman into a back room where he physically assaulted and restrained her.
The report details a violent encounter in which Davis allegedly grabbed the woman by her hair and throat while saying, “You think I would not find you.” He then allegedly forced her to the club’s parking lot before eventually releasing her.
Rossel told investigators she first met Davis in 2022 and that they dated for five months in 2025 before ending the relationship. She stated she had ceased all communication with the boxer before the alleged incident.
The victim has pursued both criminal and civil remedies, filing a police report with Miami Gardens authorities and a separate civil lawsuit against the champion boxer.
“What the police said is exactly in line with our lawsuit,” Jeff Chukwuma, Rossel’s attorney, told ESPN on January 14. “So whatever investigation they did, they determined it was enough to get a judge to sign off on an arrest warrant. The state attorney had to make the determination before, which coincides exactly with our civil complaint.”
Earlier this month, Rossel’s legal team reported difficulties in serving Davis with the civil complaint, telling the court they had made multiple unsuccessful attempts to deliver the legal documents.
The timing of the alleged incident coincided with Davis’s training camp for a scheduled bout against social media personality-turned-boxer Jake Paul at Miami’s Kaseya Center. Following the filing of the civil lawsuit, Davis was pulled from the card and replaced by former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Davis has not fought since March, when he battled to a draw against Lamont Roach Jr. The prolonged absence from the ring represents a significant disruption for a fighter who has built his reputation as one of boxing’s most explosive punchers across three weight divisions.
This arrest adds to a troubling pattern of legal issues that have shadowed Davis’s accomplished boxing career. The fighter has faced domestic violence charges previously, though many cases filed against him have ultimately been dropped.
Most recently, in 2023, Davis was sentenced to three years of probation and 90 days of house arrest following a hit-and-run incident in Baltimore. The case highlighted ongoing concerns about the boxer’s conduct outside the ring, even as his performances inside it continued to draw major audiences and lucrative purses.
Davis now faces the legal process on multiple fronts: the criminal charges that led to Wednesday’s arrest and the pending civil lawsuit. The severity of the charges—particularly attempted kidnapping—could carry significant penalties if prosecutors secure a conviction.
His boxing future remains uncertain as these legal matters unfold. With no fight scheduled and now facing serious criminal charges, Davis’s return to the ring appears indefinitely postponed.
As of Thursday morning, no statement had been issued by Davis or his legal representatives regarding the arrest.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Boxing champion Gervonta Davis was arrested on Wednesday after a two-week manhunt on serious charges, including battery, false imprisonment, and attempted kidnapping. The charges stem from an alleged October assault on his ex-girlfriend at a Miami strip club, where police say he grabbed her by the hair and throat before forcing her to the parking lot.
This arrest continues a troubling pattern—Davis has a history of domestic violence allegations and was previously sentenced to house arrest for a 2023 hit-and-run. The severity of these charges, combined with his repeated legal troubles, raises serious questions about whether his boxing career can continue.
Most critically, this case underscores how domestic violence persists across all levels of society, including among celebrated athletes, and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable regardless of their fame or status.
