Rising mixed martial arts (MMA) Bantamweight prospect and Josh Barnett protege Johnny Robles was detained by local authorities in Downey, California, following allegations that he arranged to meet a minor.
Footage of the detention, captured by an individual identifying as a child protection vigilante on Instagram under the handle “big_bad_wolf1983,” was shared publicly. The videos are available here and here. It remains unclear whether Robles has been formally arrested or charged at this time.
California Mixed Martial Arts (CMMA), the gym where Robles trained and served as a wrestling and MMA coach, issued an immediate statement upon learning of the allegations. The gym announced Robles’ permanent removal from their organization, emphasizing their commitment to community safety. Their full statement reads:
“A video is circulating showing one of our coaches being detained over an incident with a minor outside of our gym. We have just been made aware of this situation, and effective immediately, this individual has been permanently removed from our organization.
We want to be absolutely clear: we do not condone, support, or tolerate this type of behavior in any way. The safety and well-being of the children and families in our community is our highest priority, and we will always act quickly and decisively to uphold that commitment.
We remain committed to providing a safe, respectful, and positive environment for all of our members. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out directly.
We appreciate your trust and understanding as we handle this with the seriousness it deserves.”
Robles, 28, holds a professional MMA record of 10-3 and is the current Up Next Fighting (UNF) Bantamweight Champion. He most recently competed against former UFC fighter Albert Morales, securing a split-decision victory. In late 2024, Robles also fought for the prominent Cage Warriors promotion, where he knocked out James Settle in 23 seconds.
Further details regarding the incident and any potential legal proceedings are pending.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
