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Plea deal on sexual assault charge set for April for MMA’s Michael Whitehead

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Michael Whitehead

Mixed martial arts fighter Michael "Iron Mike" Whitehead will get another 45 days before he goes another round with the Las Vegas court system.

Whitehead, who was charged in April 2010 for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in his home, appeared briefly Monday morning with his attorney, Keith Brower, in Las Vegas Justice Court.

Justice of the Peace Janiece Marshall said today's hearing was to check on the status of plea negotiations between Whitehead and the Clark County District Attorney's office.

Brower had told Marshall on Feb. 7 that a plea agreement had been reached and at that time asked for a 30-day delay because Whitehead, who is out of custody, was out of the state.

After a brief discussion with the judge at the bench Monday morning, Brower asked Marshall for another delay, saying that Whitehead will be back in court at that date.

Marshall set Whitehead's next court date for 8 a.m. April 14.

That is a year to the date that Whitehead voluntarily surrendered to detectives following an incident on April 10, in which a woman filed a police report indicating the MMA fighter had assaulted her.

The woman told police that she and a friend had gone to Whitehead's home for a barbecue, then after drinking, decided not to drive home, according to a police report.

The report said Whitehead told the women that they could sleep in his bed.

One of the women said she awoke to find her pants down and Whitehead having sex with her in the bed. Although she repeatedly demanded that he stop, he didn't for about three minutes, according to the police report.

After the alleged incident, Whitehead sat in a chair in the bedroom, police said. The second woman, who had been next to the woman on the bed, said she witnessed the alleged assault, according to the police report. The second woman alleged that Whitehead groped her during the incident, the report said.

After turning himself in, Whitehead was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on a charge of sexual assault, attempted sexual assault and open and gross lewdness.

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