Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver, a former UFC fighter known as War Machine, has been sentenced to life in prison after he kidnapped, sexually assaulted and beat his ex-girlfriend in 2014.
Koppenhaver, 35, was convicted in March in Las Vegas for 29 felonies after attacking Christy Mack and her friend Corey Thomas, after he found the two together in her bedroom.
The former MMA fighter will not be eligible for parole until he is 71, but Mack, who suffered a lacerated liver, broken rib and lost two teeth in the assault, told District Judge Elissa Cadish that she would fear for her life when Koppenhaver is released.
“I don’t know if my life will feel complete in 12 years or 30 years and neither do you, but I do know when he gets out he will kill me,” Mack said, as quoted by The Guardian.
Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver AKA War Machine Sentenced to Life
Koppenhaver, who was involved in 19 MMA fights and also worked as a pornographic actor, blamed anxiety and depression on his behavior. He said he regretted his actions and claimed to have been a “very, very lost, very empty person.”
While making his statement to court Monday, Koppenhaver compared himself to Aaron Hernandez, the former NFL star who was found guilty of murder before committing suicide this past April.
“I should have killed myself by now,” Koppenhaver said, as reported by ESPN. “There’s no reason right now that I shouldn’t be in the dirt right now laying next to Aaron Hernandez. That’s 100 percent true.”
He also expressed regret for his evil act.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t seriously regret all those things that I did. I was a very, very lost, very empty person,” Koppenhaver continued. “And to top it off, something’s not right with my head. Plain and simple. I’ve known that a long time and I’ve hated it. I’ve hated the way that I think. I’ve hated my impulses. Half the time, I don’t know why I do some of the things I do. And some of the times I do things and I don’t even feel like I did them until it’s already done.”
His attorney, Jay Leiderman, claims that Koppenhaver attempted to hang himself behind bars this past January, but has since turned to religion and is trying to become a role model in prison. Leiderman also said that he’ll appeal Monday’s sentence. War machine has been on the news and media for many years now.