Instagram celeb ‘Yakiboy’ charged with assault after gym altercation

He is the heavily-tattooed bodybuilder who goes by the name of Yakiboy and has a cult Instagram following. But now the martial arts expert and model is accused of assaulting a man who allegedly got into a yelling match with his wife at a Sydney gym.

• Shocking video of ‘illegal’ arrest of brothers
• ‘Toxic’ jury led to accused drug smuggler’s acquittal

Would you swear at this man’s wife?

It would take a brave — or perhaps foolish — man to get into an argument with the wife of 6’5 martial arts expert and model Hossein Balapour, who has a mouthful of gold teeth and is also known to his 176,000 Instagram followers as Yakiboy.

But according to court documents, that’s exactly what 58-year-old Raymond Carl did at a South Sydney gym just before 8am on December 1.

Mr Carl allegedly got into a yelling match with Cherish Balapour over a piece of gym equipment, only to find himself face-to-face with Mr Balapour a short time later outside the gym on Broome St, Waterloo.

Hossein Balapour who goes by the Instagram name Yakiboy. Picture: Instagram

MORE FROM BRENDEN HILLS

SEARCH FOR GIRLS WHO ESCAPED SERIAL SKAF RAPISTS

THE SNITCH: B4L GANG LEADER QAUMI GOES OFF-SCRIPT

It is from that point that the stories significantly diverge.

Mr Balapour, 29, whose ripped body is covered with tattoos from his feet to his scalp, told police he received a phone call from his wife and rushed to the gym to protect her because he thought she was in danger.

Mr Carl told police the towering model and aspiring actor grabbed him by the throat, a claim that Mr Balapour denies.

A magistrate will now be asked to decide after Mr Carl reported the matter to police and Mr Balapour was charged with one count of aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Mr Balapour, who hit the headlines last year when he posted a nude shot of himself with only a piece of pizza covering himself, has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Hossein ‘Yakiboy’ Balapour with partner Cherish Balapour during their baby gender reveal. Picture: Instagram

According to police documents, Mr Carl had been waiting to use a piece of gym equipment that Mrs Balapour was operating. The pair had a “conversation” when she finished that descended into a yelling match.

Mrs Balapour contacted her husband who confronted Mr Carl outside the gym and demanded to know what had been said to his wife.

Mr Carl told police he responded “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I didn’t talk to your wife”, only for Mr Balapour to come close to him, squeeze his arm and say “yes you did, you told her to f … off.”

The 58-year-old told police he said: “No one said anything to your wife. How could she hear, she had headphones on”, the documents said.

Balapour will fight a charge of aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Picture: Instagram

At this point, Mr Carl told police that Mr Balapour grabbed him around the throat but did not cut off his ability to breath.

According to police documents, Mr Balapour was cooperative when he spoke to police and denied any assault had occurred but said there had been a verbal argument. His wife also told police there was no physical altercation.

Sitting in Court 4.4 in the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, Mr Balapour towered over the other people in the overcrowded public gallery.

His lawyer Abdul Reslan asked Registrar Nicole Hoffman to reduce the number of days his client reported to police so he could attend meetings for his acting and modelling career.

Registrar Hoffman reduced his reporting days from three to once a week.

The matter was adjourned until April 21.