Former MMA fighter Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver — better known to his fans as War Machine — plead not guilty yesterday to the 34 felony counts he is facing related to the August 8th beating of his ex-girlfriend Christy Mack and her friend Corey Thomas, as well as previous attacks on Mack dating back to May 2013. Koppenhaver entered his pleas at Nevada’s Clark County District Court, and will remain incarcerated until his trial begins in February.
Last month, Koppenhaver’s lawyer was looking to make a plea deal to avoid a life sentence. Then, Koppenhaver tried to kill himself in jail, and his defense strategy apparently changed. The charges that Koppenhaver currently faces include felony battery causing substantial bodily harm, sexual assault, burglary, strangulation, attempted sexual assault, and preventing or dissuading a witness or victim from reporting a crime.
Former MMA fighter Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver — better known to his fans as War Machine — plead not guilty yesterday to the 34 felony counts he is facing related to the August 8th beating of his ex-girlfriend Christy Mack and her friend Corey Thomas, as well as previous attacks on Mack dating back to May 2013. Koppenhaver entered his pleas at Nevada’s Clark County District Court, and will remain incarcerated until his trial begins in February.
Last month, Koppenhaver’s lawyer was looking to make a plea deal to avoid a life sentence. Then, Koppenhaver tried to kill himself in jail, and his defense strategy apparently changed. The charges that Koppenhaver currently faces include felony battery causing substantial bodily harm, sexual assault, burglary, strangulation, attempted sexual assault, and preventing or dissuading a witness or victim from reporting a crime.
(Photo via Fox5Vegas)
Much-reviled MMA fighter War Machine (aka Jon Koppenhaver) made his first court appearance in Las Vegas today, following the alleged assault of his girlfriend Christy Mack last month. The UFC/Bellator veteran was formally read th…
Much-reviled MMA fighter War Machine (aka Jon Koppenhaver) made his first court appearance in Las Vegas today, following the alleged assault of his girlfriend Christy Mack last month. The UFC/Bellator veteran was formally read the charges against him, which now include allegations of attempted murder and sexual assault dating back to May 2013. As the Las Vegas Review Journal reports:
Koppenhaver, who originally faced nine charges in connection with the alleged attack last month, now faces a total of 32 counts, including attempted murder, sexual assault, battery, coercion, preventing or dissuading a witness or victim from reporting a crime, and first-degree kidnapping resulting in substantial bodily harm.
According to @PandulloLaw, the number of charges is actually 31, with an original lewdness charge now dropped. Also, this:
Koppenhaver was ordered to be held without bail, and is due back in court on October 17th. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A month after he was arrested for allegedly holding his ex-wife Thaysa at gunpoint and making death threats outside of Pablo Popovitch’s gym in Fort Lauderdale, UFC light-heavyweight veteran Thiago Silva is a temporarily-free man again. On Friday, a judge granted Silva’s release on a $25,000 bond following a hearing in Broward County, Florida — despite prosecutors’ claims that Silva’s status as a Brazilian national makes him a flight risk, and Thaysa’s testimony that Thiago would kill her if he was freed.
Silva currently faces charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and resisting arrest without violence. His next court appearance will reportedly take place next week. In the meantime, Silva must wear an electronic monitoring device, complete an anger management program, submit to random drug and alcohol testing, and (this goes without saying) stay away from Thaysa and Popovitch. In addition, Silva was forced to surrender his passport and must stay out of Broward County.
According to this Local10 report, Silva had dozens of friends and MMA fighters supporting him at Friday’s hearing, including Rashad Evans. In a salacious twist, Pablo Popovitch’s wife Fabianna gave testimony, stating that Thaysa “destroyed my life and my kids’ family” by “sleeping with my husband.” We’ll keep you posted when we have more details about Thiago Silva’s upcoming trial.
A month after he was arrested for allegedly holding his ex-wife Thaysa at gunpoint and making death threats outside of Pablo Popovitch’s gym in Fort Lauderdale, UFC light-heavyweight veteran Thiago Silva is a temporarily-free man again. On Friday, a judge granted Silva’s release on a $25,000 bond following a hearing in Broward County, Florida — despite prosecutors’ claims that Silva’s status as a Brazilian national makes him a flight risk, and Thaysa’s testimony that Thiago would kill her if he was freed.
Silva currently faces charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and resisting arrest without violence. His next court appearance will reportedly take place next week. In the meantime, Silva must wear an electronic monitoring device, complete an anger management program, submit to random drug and alcohol testing, and (this goes without saying) stay away from Thaysa and Popovitch. In addition, Silva was forced to surrender his passport and must stay out of Broward County.
According to this Local10 report, Silva had dozens of friends and MMA fighters supporting him at Friday’s hearing, including Rashad Evans. In a salacious twist, Pablo Popovitch’s wife Fabianna gave testimony, stating that Thaysa “destroyed my life and my kids’ family” by “sleeping with my husband.” We’ll keep you posted when we have more details about Thiago Silva’s upcoming trial.
Overeem faces one misdemeanor battery charge, which carries a potential $1,000 fine and up to six months in prison. While we expect his high-powered lawyer to smash these charges like an Uberknee to the ribs, it would be a disaster if this affected Overeem’s scheduled heavyweight championship bout against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146 on May 26th. Stay tuned…
(In an unprecedented move, Alistair’s first character witness will be this gigantic K-1 trophy.)
Overeem faces one misdemeanor battery charge, which carries a potential $1,000 fine and up to six months in prison. While we expect his high-powered lawyer to smash these charges like an Uberknee to the ribs, it would be a disaster if this affected Overeem’s scheduled heavyweight championship bout against Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146 on May 26th. Stay tuned…
(Photoprops: FightoftheNight.com)
Two-and-a-half years after being accused of raping a former girlfriend, Jeremy Jackson’s felony trial finally began earlier this month; the former UFC fighter and TUF 4 contestant had been in jail since his June 2008…
Two-and-a-half years after being accused of raping a former girlfriend, Jeremy Jackson‘s felony trial finally began earlier this month; the former UFC fighter and TUF 4 contestant had been in jail since his June 2008 arrest, unable to post the $1 million bond. But in a surprising turn of events, Jackson changed his plea to guilty midway through the trial, and now faces 25 years to life in prison. The Ventura County Star passes along more details:
The change of plea stunned [Jackson’s] lawyer, Russell Baker, who is with the Public Defender’s Office. “It was against my advice. I tried to tell him not to do that,” said Baker in an interview, adding that he was extremely disappointed. “I feel that we could have beaten his case.”
The alleged victim testified that Jackson had threatened, intimidated and raped her on June 28, 2008. She said Jackson put a gun to her head. Prosecutors say it was a BB gun. She said Jackson wanted her to call another man and have sex in front of him. She said he threatened to kill her, her children and himself if she didn’t do what he said.
