Joe Cordina Cleared of Assault. Now He Needs His Title Shot Back

Joe Cordina walked out of court cleared. Now he needs a fight.

The former two-time IBF super featherweight champion was found not guilty of assault by beating on Tuesday at Cardiff Magistrates' Court, the BBC reported. The case came from a February incident outside a petrol station in Pentwyn, Cardiff, where Cordina, 34, punched a man named Jamie O'Brien, 33. Police got involved after footage of the altercation circulated online.

District Judge Charlotte Murphy ruled that Cordina acted in self-defense. "I am further satisfied that a single, measured, controlled punch was proportionate in the circumstances," she said, adding that "the defendant had a split second to consider his response to the shoulder barge." CCTV shown in court had O'Brien pushing Cordina with his shoulder before Cordina threw the punch.

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"I reject any suggestion that the defendant was retaliating in any way," the judge said, before finding Cordina not guilty and dismissing the charge. She had already ruled there was no case to answer on a second assault charge. O'Brien had previously pleaded guilty to assault by beating, according to the BBC.

Cordina told the court a conviction would "pretty much" certainly have put his boxing licence at risk. That's not a small thing for a fighter in the back half of his career.

And the case has already cost him plenty. Cordina was supposed to challenge Abdullah Mason for the WBO lightweight title on July 4 in Cleveland. In late June, he said the U.S. Embassy in London had denied him a visa, and the fight was off. "Absolutely gutted," he said at the time.

Cordina had earned that shot the hard way. He went into Gabe Flores Jr.'s backyard in Stockton, California, last December and won a unanimous decision (117-110, 115-112, 114-113) in a WBO final eliminator, moving to 19-1 with 9 KOs. His only loss is to Anthony Cacace, who took his 130-pound belt in Riyadh in May 2024.

Back in June, his promoter Eddie Hearn made it pretty clear what had to happen first. "Joe would have to deal with that situation, clear it all up and then we'll reschedule a fight," Hearn told reporters. "Joe's a good fighter and a big name and once he resolves that situation, we'll work with him to get him in another big fight."

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Well, it's resolved. Hearn also said Cordina had "probably" missed his chance at Mason, so don't assume the mandatory spot is waiting for him. But a 34-year-old ex-champ who's only lost once doesn't need much to get back in line, and 135 is a busy neighborhood right now (Shakur's a free agent, and the WBA belt is in dispute).

Where should Cordina go from here? Make your case in the Boxbid community. And when he does get a date, you know where to guess the rounds.

Sources: BBC News court report, Oct. 20, 2026 (verdict and judge's quotes); BBC Sport and ESPN, June 2026 (visa denial and cancelled Mason fight); BoxingScene, June 2026 (Eddie Hearn quotes); BBC Sport and The Ring, Dec. 2025 (Flores result).