Former UFC fighter Josh Grispi sentenced to 5-1/2 years in jail on assault, gun charges

A former UFC fighter will do jail time for a violent 2014 attack on his wife.

Josh Grispi was convicted on 25 counts of assault and gun charges by a jury in Brockton (Mass.) Superior Court on Friday, per a release from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office. He was sentenced to 5-1/2 years in jail by judge Richard Chin. Grispi also received an additional five years of probation once he is released from jail.

Grispi was found guilty on seven counts of improper storage of a firearm, five counts of assault and battery, two counts of threat to commit a crime, eight counts of intimidating a witness, one count of malicious damage to a motor vehicle, one count of attempt to procure perjury and one count of possession to distribute marijuana.

The charges stem from an Aug. 4, 2014 assault on his wife, Kaitlyn, which included Grispi pulling her by hair and hitting her in the head multiple times after she attempted to hide from him in the backyard bushes, the victim told police at the time. The victim was treated at Brockton Hospital for a concussion, sprained wrist and other injuries, per the DA’s release.

Three days before that, Middleboro Police reported to the home after getting a tip from a family member that Grispi was abusing his wife. At the house, police found three handguns, two rifles, an assault rifle and a Sig Sauer .45-caliber handgun. None of the firearms were stored correctly or secured properly and Grispi’s license was out of date.

At that time, Grispi was arrested on gun charges and one count of domestic assault and battery. But he posted bail and returned home.

“Domestic violence cases are difficult to prosecute and involve a particularly vulnerable set of victims, and this case was no different,” district attorney Anthony Cruz said in a statement. “This was a severe case of abuse, not only the physical injuries Mr. Grispi inflicted, but the emotional abuse of isolating the victim from family. I am hopeful that with the time in jail and proper programming, Mr. Grispi can learn to control his anger and emotions and become a productive member of society.”

The jury found Grispi not guilty on other charges: three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition.

Grispi was accused of making the family dog attack his wife, but was not found guilty of that charge. Middleboro police officer Richard Harvey, who was at the scene in 2014, told the Taunton Gazette that Kaitlyn Grispi had been “chewed up” by the dog.

“It’s the worst case of domestic abuse I’ve ever seen,” Harvey said.

Kaitlyn Grispi has stood by her husband and testified on the stand for him during the five-day trial.

Grispi, 28, last fought in the UFC in 2013. He was thought to be a top prospect in the featherweight division when he came over from WEC in 2011. Grispi was supposed to be Jose Aldo’s first UFC title defense at UFC 125 in 2011, but Aldo withdrew due to injury and Grispi ended up losing to Dustin Poirier.