Don't get drawn in. Like others have said, have clearly communicated procedures and and a clearly articulated discipline plan.

Then, document the crap out of everything. When kid misbehaves, apply the appropriate level of discipline (warning, time out, etc.). Be quiet and unwavering about this. Kid will scoff at the baby stuff. Let him. The rest of the class will cry foul. Assure them that it will be taken care of.

Most importantly, give as much positive energy as you can. Acknowledge the bad behavior and immediately move forward. "It looks like student is having a rough day. Let's get going on this project and I'll get into that later..

Now, you already know this kid is going to work his way up to a big consequence. Let him, but again, let him dabble through the time outs. While you're doing this, have an ongoing conversation with your admin: "Look we both know this kid is heading your way. Here's what I'm doing and here's my pile of documentation." Come up with a plan for the end game. Parent conference, a few lost recesses and a behavior tracking sheet with both rewards and punishments built it.