Former welterweight world titleholder Victor Ortiz pleaded not guilty Wednesday to sexual assault charges, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
Ortiz, 31, had turned himself in last month and was charged with forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and forcible digital penetration.
A woman had first contacted police in March and said she was sexually assaulted inside a home in Oxnard, California, with Ortiz later identified as the suspect.
After several months of police investigating, the case was presented to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and a warrant was issued for Ortiz’s arrest.
Ortiz (32-6-3, 25 KOs), once one of boxing’s brightest up-and-coming stars, had been scheduled to fight John Molina Jr. in a 12-round welterweight bout on Sept. 30 in Ontario, California, but that bout was cancelled after charges were filed.
Ortiz has seen his career badly fade since he lost his world title by fourth-round knockout to Floyd Mayweather in 2011.
Outside of boxing, Ortiz made a name for himself with a 2013 appearance on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.” He also had landed various acting roles in movies such as “Southpaw” and “Expendables 3.”