FC Cincinnati forward out for 6-8 weeks after getting punched in face by professional boxer

A wild story is coming out of Major League Soccer involving FC Cincinnati forward Aaron Boupendza. The 27-year-old is expected to miss over a month due to jaw surgery following a fight at a bar.

According to Tom Bogert and Pablo Maurer of The Athletic, Boupendza got into a scrap outside of a bar early Monday night with professional boxer Quashawn Toler.

FC Cincinnati said in a statement on Wednesday that Boupendza was going to miss 6-8 weeks due to an “off-field injury.” It seems that injury was taking a punch to the face from a professional boxer during a night out.

An injury update on Aaron Boupendza: pic.twitter.com/Z8fUfuz8sT

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) May 1, 2024

FC Cincinnati player punched by boxer

BREAKING: The alleged assailant in the incident resulting in a broken jaw for FC Cincinnati's Aaron Boupendza is professional boxer Quashawn Toler.

Toler has a record of 17-2 w/ 12 knockouts

All details w/ @MLSist in us obtaining police report & sources: https://t.co/f2fXpBHJMO pic.twitter.com/u41tyrZR2a

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) May 3, 2024

One look at Toler’s Instagram and we must say this is one of the last guys we’d want to get into a fight with at a bar.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Quashawn toler (@quashawntolerr)

It’s still unclear how the altercation started with The Athletic reporting that FC Cincinnati view their player as the victim in the situation.

Boupendza is from Gabon and has played for a number of clubs in France and around the world. He joined FC Cincinnati last summer from Saudi Pro League side Al Shabab and is one of the club’s Designated Players. 

Since joining the MLS side he’s made 31 appearances and scored nine goals across all competitions.

Boupendza has gotten himself in trouble with FC Cincinnati and the Gabon national team in the past year for disciplinary reasons. In October he was left out of the squad on the final day of the MLS regular season for not returning to the club from international duty on time.

In November he was kicked out of the Gabon national team squad after traveling to Gabon but not showing up for the team.