Ex-UFC Fighter Josh Grispi Sentenced to 5 1/2 Years in Prison on Multiple Charges

Former UFC and WEC fighter Josh Grispi will go to prison on charges stemming from what one Massachusetts police officer called “the worst case of domestic abuse I’ve ever seen.”

According to a report from the Hingham Patch , Grispi was found guilty of seven counts of improper storage of a firearm, five counts of assault and battery, two counts of threatening to commit a crime, eight counts of witness intimidation, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, malicious damage to a motor vehicle, and attempt to procure perjury. After a five-day trial and five hours of jury deliberation, Grispi was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison and five years’ probation. The district attorney’s office had been seeking eight to 10 years in state prison for Grispi.

On Aug. 1, 2014, Middleboro, Mass., police responded to the Grispi residence on a tip of domestic abuse, where they found three handguns, two rifles, an assault rifle and a Sig Sauer .45-caliber handgun. The firearms had not been stored or secured properly and Grispi did not have an updated license to carry. Grispi’s wife, Kaitlyn, initially obtained an emergency restraining order against her husband and he was arrested on gun charges and one count of domestic assault and battery.

Grispi posted bail and returned home. Three days later, police returned to the residence after Grispi assaulted his wife again, this time pulling her by the hair and punching her in the head multiple times when she attempted to hide from him in the backyard. Grispi also reportedly asked the victim, “Do you want me to kill you?” The victim was eventually able to escape to a neighbor’s house and was later treated for a concussion, sprained wrist and other injuries at Brockton hospital. Grispi has been held without bail since his second arrest.

At the time, Middleboro police officer Richard Harvey told the Taunton Gazette that “It’s the worst case of domestic abuse I’ve ever seen.”

Nicknamed “The Fluke” during his MMA tenure, Grispi made his mark with 14 victories in his first 15 professional appearances, including triumphs over Mark Hominick and Jens Pulver in the WEC. The featherweight went winless in four UFC outings before being released by the Las Vegas-based promotion. He last competed at UFC on Fuel TV 7 on Feb. 16, 2013, dropping a three-round decision to Andy Ogle.