Former UFC and Bellator fighter Jon Koppenhaver, better known as War Machine, has been sentenced to 36 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 36 years for the vicious assault of his ex-girlfriend Christy Mack and her boyfriend Corey Thomas, per a report from MMAJunkie.com. Earlier this year, Machine was found […]
Former UFC and Bellator fighter Jon Koppenhaver, better known as War Machine, has been sentenced to 36 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 36 years for the vicious assault of his ex-girlfriend Christy Mack and her boyfriend Corey Thomas, per a report from MMAJunkie.com.
Earlier this year, Machine was found guilty on 29 of 34 charges, which included sexual assault, kidnapping and coercion.
During the sentencing hearing, Machine and his legal team described a difficult upbringing for Machine, but Clark County District Judge Elissa Cadish said that there must be ‘consequences’:
“I don’t think you’re a monster – I think you’re a human being,” she said. “I don’t discount those, but there also have to be consequences for what happened, and I have to look out for the well being of the community as I consider the appropriate sentence. I do think a substantial amount of time is warranted, not only for punishment’s sake, but avoiding danger to the community.”
Mack also appeared at this hearing, describing the brutal circumstances that she has gone through, while voicing her concerns in regards to Machine eventually being released from prison:
“I’ve been punched and kicked, smothered and bitten, raped and tortured,” Mack said. “I was met with this more times than I can count, and I still cry every time I think about how it feels.”
“I don’t know if my life will feel complete in 12 or 20 or 30 years, but I do know that when he gets out, he will kill me,” Mack said.
Thomas also gave his input:
“I wanted to look you in the eye and let you know there are victims in this crime,” Thomas told the judge. “I’m not asking you to do anything that you don’t already know what to do. What I am concerned with how much time the defendant has wasted getting to this point and still to point to how it’s everyone else’s fault. It isn’t. He tried to kill me. Let’s get realistic. He has the background, and he’s done it before. He’s wasted everyone’s time, and I don’t think the minimums should apply.”
Finally, Machine spoke on the situation, admitting that he has many regrets, while also detailing his newly found relationship with God:
“Not a day goes by that I don’t seriously regret some of the things I did,” Machine said. “I was a lost and empty person. I hated the way that I think. I hated my impulses. It caused me to hate myself. I hate myself way more than any of these people do. I would look at myself in the mirror and smash my face. That’s how much I hated myself. It was the only thing I could do to prevent myself from killing myself.
“I gave my life to God. For the first time in my entire life, it’s brought me peace inside. It’s helped me to remove my self hate. It’s given me the ability to manage my depression and anxiety.
“I hated that this happened. I hate that I had to hurt the woman I loved. I hate that I had to ruin my career. But it’s been a blessing in my life. It’s made me grow into a real man. No matter what happens in this case or the future, I’m just glad that I finally have woken up and seen the truth. And I really believe I’m going to be able to be a good role model for the rest of my life.”
The ongoing saga of Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver’s assault case against former girlfriend Christy Mack has come to a conclusion. Having been found guilty of 29 felony charges against him for a highly-publicized 2014 attack on Mack and her friend Corey Thomas, “War Machine” seems to be at peace with the idea of being locked up for
The ongoing saga of Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver’s assault case against former girlfriend Christy Mack has come to a conclusion.
Having been found guilty of 29 felony charges against him for a highly-publicized 2014 attack on Mack and her friend Corey Thomas, “War Machine” seems to be at peace with the idea of being locked up for life, according to his Twitter account.
Well, that didn’t go very well, now did it? Would you believe me, though, if I said that I have nothing but joy inside, even now as I am sure to receive some type of life sentence? It’s true. Often times I have heard men in neighboring cells go to their cells and cry after receiving such news, but how can I? How can I cry tears of sorrow over the circumstances responsible for saving my soul? These circumstances are what has transformed me into a real man, how can I disrespect god by weeping over them? How much is a soul worth? Is a life sentence too high a price? Not at all, I gladly trade this false life in for the real one to come; I have been nothing but blessed by all of this. Now, if only I could somehow receive Christy’s forgiveness… And if only I could one day hear that she too had been saved! That would remove every last bit of tarnish from this tragedy.
The former UFC and Bellator fighter went on to address his former girlfriend as well as family members during the Twitter rant, coming across like a man at peace with the thought of a life sentence.
CHRISTY: I am sorry for the man that I was, I am sorry for hurting you. One day, when enough time has passed, and when your wounds are fully healed, I hope that you will write to me, or, perhaps, even visit me, so that I can apologize completely, and so that I can tell you about all that I have found in regard to god. He is real and can heal and complete you deep inside, if only you knew the full extent to which he had healed me… I will never cease to pray for you. MELISSA & SHANNAH: You have been the best sisters a guy could ever ask for, I love you two so much. BRANDON: You have gone far above and beyond the call of duty as a friend, I’m still in awe of all you have done. STACI: Thank you for your service to god, without you I may never have been found. PHIL: Thank you for your presence at court, sorry for failing you as a protege. HERMAN: Sorry for failing you as a mentor, you have grown into a good man, I am proud of you. JULIA: You have been a true gift from god, if only… And to the rest of my loved ones: Never worry about me, I am at peace, I am alive and happy for the first time in my life.
“War Machine” will be officially sentenced in June.
Former UFC and Bellator fighter Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver has been convicted of 29 out of the 34 felony charges for the vicious assault on former girlfriend Christy Mack and her new boyfriend Corey Thomas. War Machine, 35, was found guilty of the charges by a jury on Monday in Clark County District Court in
Former UFC and Bellator fighter Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver has been convicted of 29 out of the 34 felony charges for the vicious assault on former girlfriend Christy Mack and her new boyfriend Corey Thomas.
War Machine, 35, was found guilty of the charges by a jury on Monday in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas — charges which could send him to prison for life without parole.
The former MMA fighter was convicted of assault, battery, and kidnapping, while theee of the charges ended in a not guilty verdict. He was found not guilty of two counts of attempted murder, which were the most serious of the charges levied against him.
In August 2014, Koppenhaver walked into Mack’s Las Vegas home and found her in bed with Thomas. Police records show that he attacked the man before setting his attention on to Mack, who was beaten to the point of having her ribs broken, her lung punctured by a broken rib, broken teeth, and other broken bones.
War Machine leaves behind a 14-5 record in MMA, having fought for the UFC and Bellator before the assault on Mack. He last fought against Ron Keslar in October of 2013, where he lost by technical submission in what will likely amount to be his last fight.
With former UFC and Bellator MMA fighter War Machine’s case now in trial, many harrowing details have emerged regarding his August 2014 attack on ex-girlfriend Christy Mack. On Wednesday, Mack took to the stand and revealed her account of the fateful evening which left War Machine facing 34 felony charges. Mack testified that War Machine used a
With former UFC and Bellator MMA fighter War Machine’s case now in trial, many harrowing details have emerged regarding his August 2014 attack on ex-girlfriend Christy Mack.
On Wednesday, Mack took to the stand and revealed her account of the fateful evening which left War Machine facing 34 felony charges.
Mack testified that War Machine used a knife to cut off her mohawk haircut and destroyed several of her wigs because he “always hated them”, according to the New York Daily News.
At that point, Mack says War Machine, who was legally born Jon Koppenhaver, began going through her cell phone and striking her every time he discovered something on there he didn’t like or approve of.
Mack, now 25, told jurors that she eventually blacked out during the attack and only regained consciousness after Koppenhaver put her in the shower, where she says she began tasting blood.
“I genuinely felt like I was going to die at this point,” Mack testified on Wednesday.
Mack says she began convulsing after Koppenhaver kicked her in the stomach so hard he broke one of her ribs, which in turn lacerated her liver.
Prosecutors told jurors that this was not the first time the former MMA fighter had assaulted Mack, saying that Koppenhaver would threaten to kill his ex-girlfriend if her bruises were too noticeable.
“Now I have to kill you, I’ve gone too far,” Koppenhaver allegedly told her. “You can’t be seen like this. Everyone’s gonna know.”
It’s been nearly a month since War Machine (fka Jon Koppenhaver) attempted to hang himself in his jail cell at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, and a few of you might be wondering what the former UFC/Bellator fighter has been up to. Short version: He’s alive, and taking it one day at a time.
BloodyElbow passed along a letter that Koppenhaver posted to twitter two weeks ago, describing his suicide attempt and his subsequent lockup in solitary. We’ve re-printed that below, along with his latest update, in which War Machine discusses how his extradition from California to Las Vegas was one of the worst experiences of his life…though it contained a moment of true beauty and revelation.
Well, the only thing that sucks more than waking up (when you expect to be dead) has got to be the letters that you have to read from your loved ones…ugh. Should be the other way around, right? Knowing that people care should make one want to live, you’d think, unfortunately it’s still possible to feel very alone even when you’re in a room surrounded by people. Now if I kill myself I’ll feel even more guilty about it.
Life is a bitch, and do you know what they do to the most depressed/miserable inmates? They locked me up for an entire week, butt naked, in an even deeper, darker hole than the one I was already in: no phone, no mail, no books, no toothbrush, no snacks, nothing! Makes sense right? “How long had you been thinking of suicide? That long, why didn’t you tell us?” Yeah, let them know that I’m suicidal so that they can lock me up and treat me like that?! That shit right there would make even the happiest person suicidal, most miserable week of my life. When you complain about it they threaten to keep you longer, and ask, “Well, what did you expect would happen when you did this?” Uh…I thought I’d be a baby again or some shit??? Be, uh, dead?!
It’s been nearly a month since War Machine (fka Jon Koppenhaver) attempted to hang himself in his jail cell at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, and a few of you might be wondering what the former UFC/Bellator fighter has been up to. Short version: He’s alive, and taking it one day at a time.
BloodyElbow passed along a letter that Koppenhaver posted to twitter two weeks ago, describing his suicide attempt and his subsequent lockup in solitary. We’ve re-printed that below, along with his latest update, in which War Machine discusses how his extradition from California to Las Vegas was one of the worst experiences of his life…though it contained a moment of true beauty and revelation.
Well, the only thing that sucks more than waking up (when you expect to be dead) has got to be the letters that you have to read from your loved ones…ugh. Should be the other way around, right? Knowing that people care should make one want to live, you’d think, unfortunately it’s still possible to feel very alone even when you’re in a room surrounded by people. Now if I kill myself I’ll feel even more guilty about it.
Life is a bitch, and do you know what they do to the most depressed/miserable inmates? They locked me up for an entire week, butt naked, in an even deeper, darker hole than the one I was already in: no phone, no mail, no books, no toothbrush, no snacks, nothing! Makes sense right? “How long had you been thinking of suicide? That long, why didn’t you tell us?” Yeah, let them know that I’m suicidal so that they can lock me up and treat me like that?! That shit right there would make even the happiest person suicidal, most miserable week of my life. When you complain about it they threaten to keep you longer, and ask, “Well, what did you expect would happen when you did this?” Uh…I thought I’d be a baby again or some shit??? Be, uh, dead?!
I’ve had a killer headache and my hands/feet have felt kinda weird ever since, “lucky to be alive” they say, I still can’t believe it. It was an extremely hard thing to bring myself to do, guard walks by every 30 mins, still unsure as to what brought him up again early, wasn’t my time I guess. A few very nice officers came and spoke to me while I was on suicide watch, made me realize a few things, mostly that I called it quits too early. Never in my life have I been a quitter, and I know that my perseverance is the main quality which makes me appealing to fans…and I’ll be the first to say that I bitched out way too prematurely.
I’m sorry to all of my loved ones and supporters, this ordeal has just been hell on me. Everything was going so well and this shit just blindsided me. I guess I’ve just been fighting my entire life, and this time I just don’t want to, I just want to be happy and relaxed for once…Fuck, I feel like I was right there, so close.
Alright, I don’t want to think/talk about that subject anymore. So, it sucks ass in here, just how I remembered it! I’m locked in solitary 23hr/day M-F, my cell is like 7′x12′, and the food sucks! The worst part is the lack of nutrients and the tiny portions, thats what really kills you. I got here 195lbs ripped and I’m down to 175, and all I do is sit/lay 24/7 so it isn’t like I’m burning mad calories or some shit. They feed us at 4am, 10am and 4pm…wtf? Each night by 10pm I’m so starved that I swear I look for crumbs on the floor from earlier…we only get 2 pieces of fruit/week, oranges, and I’m so hungry that I eat the peel!
I’m kept in solitary so they limit the amount of commissary I can purchase, as well as stamps. I can only buy 15 stamps/week and I receive like 15 letters/day, so sorry in advance if I am unable to respond to you, I try, and I do appreciate all of the mail, books and $, a lot! If you want to write or send me anything just go to the Clark County Detention Center website and you can find instructions there. Thank again for all the support, sorry again for letting you down, I promised a few people that I’ll stick around for a bit longer, so don’t worry about me.
**********
Thanks for all the letters and books guys; if I haven’t replied to you, I apologize, the jail has been out of stamps for two weeks, don’t ask me how/why. Today is Halloween, it’s kind of depressing, I had a good Halloween and Thanksgiving last year, I wish I could rewind time. What a useless waste of time/ energy it is playing the “if only I could rewind time…” game, right? Very hard to resist playing it though, especially when you’re locked in a box with no distractions. I get pissed off at myself every time I do it, ugh.
I gave myself a haircut last night, not gonna quit my day job, but it turned out pretty decent. It’s actually my second one since I’ve been here, my hair grows like crazy and they don’t allow us guys in “the hole” to get haircuts from the jail barber, again, don’t ask me why. They also don’t let us, back here, attend anger management classes or substance abuse classes, none of that. Makes a lot of sense, right? Shit, they even make us wear shackles in the shower! Lol.
I rarely come out of my cell though, we’re allowed out 1hr/day M-F to shower, use the phone, or the just wander the tier and talk to other guys at their cell doors, but it always seems to be at an inconvenient time. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “wtf are you busy doing?” But, I sleep 12hrs/day, so if I’m asked for free time then, I always refuse. I’m pretty sure the guards have realized this and purposely ask me if I want my hour when I’m asleep, so they can work their way though the free time list faster. And I never complain, so I guess they assume that I don’t care, and I guess I don’t. Other guys will get in trouble for some lil old dumb shit and the guard will take their hour of free time and they flip out,
I dunno, I guess living life in a bubble is easier for me than for others. I wish they’d let me trade/sell my free time to other inmates, they did in San Diego. I remember not coming out for weeks one time, lol, just kept selling my hour for snacks, envelopes, heroin, w/e…lol jk, about the heroin part. I may have traded a couple hours for pain pills though :p it’s like in them old war movies, where the guy never responds to any of his loved ones letters, because, “in order to survive here, I can’t think about home, that world can’t exist for me.” I never understood that, until I came to jail, now it makes perfect sense. Last time that I had to do a year here, I think I used the phone 5 times total, even getting visits kinda sucks. It’s like, yeah, it’s great to see people and talk to them, but then you get locked back in your cage, and it all come crashing down.
Being happy/content is, perhaps, relative, just a comparison to another time. For example, my extradition from California to Nevada was fucking miserable, horrible really. They had 12 men and 1 woman crammed into the back of a jury-rigged “transport van”, shackled. You have to picture it accurately, I’m talking, thigh to thigh, shoulder to shoulder and knee to knee with somebody facing you…CRAMMED. We took a circuitous route, stopping every 6 hours at a new jail, to either drop someone off, pick someone up, or try to use the restroom. Yes, TRY, because not every jail would allow us in. If you had to piss, or shit, at anytime along the way you had to do so in empty bottles or empty food bags, even the girl! My trip took just shy of 3 days, the girl’s trip was planned for 12! Don’t believe me? Don’t care, fuck you. Extradition companies are privately owned, non-government, and apparently there are ZERO regulations, none being followed at least.
Anyway, it was so miserable, that I swear to God, I almost cried a couple of times. Serious discomfort, anger, sleep depravation, etc., but, even in the midst of all the suffering, there was a short period of bliss. Bliss, I tell you, lost in a moment of camaraderie and magic, and I’ll never forget it. We were all there, heads hung low, suffering in the dark, when this Mexican kid from San Fernando Valley, his name was Bouncer, asked if we wanted to hear a song that he wrote. It was in Spanish, and 90% of us couldn’t understand it, but it was the most beautiful song I have ever heard. For the 3 minutes it took to sing, it was as if all of our spirits had united into one, I felt more content than any other time I could recall, it was like a glimpse into heaven. I know it may sound weird, and maybe I’m not describing it well enough, but there was magic in that van, even if just for a few minutes.
Anyway, I lost course, and didn’t even explain what I first meant to explain, about happiness being relative…GRR. It’s like, some days I’m real content in my cell; they served a decent meal at chow, I have a good book to read, I have a little snack, I’m “happy.” In that instant, I’m happier than many a times where I’ve been FREE, with a wallet full of money and a tank full of gas. But, if I teleported my bored, unsatisfied, free self into the “happy” day in jail, I wouldn’t be happy at all! Same goes for the opposite. Teleport me to a “boring” day in the free world and it’d be like Disneyland! This all goes back to phone calls/visits while being in jail. You’re content, you’re “jail happy”, then you get a visit/call and you’re reminded of “free happy”, and now you’re depressed. See, you can find contentment in any shit circumstance, you just can’t mix the two. I hope I made sense/ didn’t confuse anyone! Lol, I think you’ll get it. Speaking of “jail happy”, 24hrs until STORE NIGHT!
(Mack at a gala supporting victims of domestic abuse. / Photo via Getty)
There’s rarely any “good” new when discussing domestic violence. There’s only varying shades of terrible.
Today, we have a story that’s the least horrible thing we’ve had to write about the War Machine/Christy Mack saga. Mack posted an update on her Twitter account. She’s still in as rough shape as anyone could expect after being nearly killed, but is in much higher spirits and is starting to feel like herself again.
Get the full text of her update after the jump.
(Mack at a gala supporting victims of domestic abuse. / Photo via Getty)
There’s rarely any “good” new when discussing domestic violence. There’s only varying shades of terrible.
Today, we have a story that’s the least horrible thing we’ve had to write about the War Machine/Christy Mack saga. Mack posted an update on her Twitter account. She’s still in as rough shape as anyone could expect after being nearly killed, but is in much higher spirits and is starting to feel like herself again.
Here’s the full text of her update:
I’ve had several dentist visits to make eating more comfortable and make my smile look more normal. I still have a few more dental visits to go. I’ve had my eyes checked and made aware that I’m very lucky to have my vision where it is, since the muscle is tethered by the fragments from the blowout fracture in my left eye. My multiple nose fractures will be fixed in the next couple of months. While they’re fairly symmetrical, my nose is shifted on the inside and out causing breathing issues (I also make everyone feel how my bones stick out on the left side because it feels so weird). My top lip will regain movement in less than six months … looking forward to using straw again.
My liver seems to be alright. I was admitted back to the hospital shortly after I was released the first time for some minor treatment, but I did not have surgery. While my face is starting to look decent again from the swelling going down, it is still not my own. Cutting what was left of my hair off, and losing 15 pounds (which is a lot when you’re 5’1″) made me feel even further away from myself. It’s hard to look in the mirror every day and see someone you do not know.
After having make up done and dressing up for yesterday’s charity event, I feel much better about how I look now. It made me feel more normal and beautiful for the first time in a very long time. The event that I went to was for Face Forward. A non-profit charity that funds surgeries for women and children that have been in horrible situations that require them to have reconstructive surgery. They are not funding me, my surgeries are being donated by other doctors. I met many wonderful people and look forward to working more with them in the future.
She also posted pictures detailing the recovery process:
As we wrote earlier in the month, War Machine faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. Courts ordered him to be held without bail. He’ll return to court in October.
