Joe Cordina charged with 'assault and threatening person with offensive weapon', says he has been denied US visa for fight with Abdullah Mason
Two-time IBF super-featherweight world champion Joe Cordina charged after incident at petrol station in Cardiff earlier this year, due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 7; Cordina said on Wednesday that his WBO lightweight world title shot in Ohio on July 4 is now off
Thursday 25 June 2026 17:39, UK
Former IBF super-featherweight world champion Joe Cordina has been charged with "assault and threatening a person with an offensive weapon" after an incident at a petrol station in Cardiff in February.
Cordina, 34, is set to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 7.
A statement from South Wales Police said: "Two men have been charged in connection with an incident outside Pentwyn Service Station, Pentwyn Road, Cardiff, on February 27, 2026,
"Joseph Cordina, 34, from Pontprennau, has been charged with assault and threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place. He is due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 7."
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South Wales Police said another man - Jamie O'Brien, 32, from Pentwyn - has been charged with assault and is due to appear at the same court on July 28.
Cordina 'gutted' as world-title shot collapses
Cordina said on Wednesday, via his Instagram story, that his proposed fight with WBO lightweight world champion Abdullah Mason in Cleveland, Ohio on July 4 had collapsed after his application for a US visa was denied.
He explained in a video: "Just to let everyone know that I'm not going to fight. There's no injuries, I've had a great camp and I was meant to fly over this week.
"A couple of days back, I went to the US embassy in London and they basically denied me a visa. I tried to explain certain things and I had all the paperwork to back it up and they wasn't having it.
"They just basically told me 'you ain't getting in'. It's out of my hands and I'm absolutely gutted because it was my chance to become a three-time, two-weight world champion."
Cordina lost the IBF super-featherweight title when he was stopped by Anthony Cacace in Riyadh in May 2024 - the only defeat on his 19-fight CV - and has since earned unanimous-decision victories over Jaret Gonzalez Quiroz and Gabriel Flores Jr.
