MMA fighter escapes prison time for assaulting his UFC star wife Rachael Ostovich after she asks the judge for leniency so he can be in their daughter's life
- Arnold Berdon punched MMA fighter in head, face, and ribs in attack in Hawaii
- Spent two days in prison, but she asked judge not to hand him extra jail time
- Pair share six-year-old daughter, who she will have custody of after divorce
UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich Berdon asked a judge in Honolulu for leniency for her husband as he was sentenced to four years of probation for assaulting her.
The mixed martial arts expert, 28, filed for a temporary restraining order against Arnold Berdon in November, alleging her husband punched her in the head, face and ribs.
He hit her after a night out with family and she fell to the ground, gasped for air and escaped through a balcony, according to her petition for an order of protection.
She said she coughed up blood and threw up several times after the attack in Hawaii.
Judge Trish Morikawa sentenced Berdon, who is also an MMA fighter, to four years of probation after hearing from Ostovich Berdon, who said: 'I do have the power to move forward, walking in forgiveness and I have.'
UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich Berdon asked for leniency for her husband as he was sentenced to four years of probation for assaulting her in Honolulu
Arnold Berdon, pictured right, hit her after a night out with family and she fell to the ground, gasped for air and escaped through a balcony
Hawaii News Now reports that she added: 'Although we are no longer together, we have a daughter together. I know how crucial it is to have her father present in her life. I hope he gets the help he needs to become a better father.'
Deputy Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Robert Rawson had asked for five years in prison, but Ostovich Berdon didn't ask for additional jail time. He spent two days in jail for the attack.
'You really hurt your wife, you hurt your family,' said Judge Morikawa.
The judge gave him credit for two days he spent in jail and said Berdon doesn't need additional time behind bars to be motivated to do the right thing.
'This wasn't a single act, it wasn't a single punch. This was a sustained brutal assault,' Rawson said, adding that a portion of it was recorded by a bystander.
'For nearly 10 minutes, the defendant assaulted the victim while she begged for him to stop.'
Berdon listened to the audio the bystander recorded and was 'deeply troubled by what he heard,' said his defense attorney, Myles Breiner. Berdon loves his wife, Breiner said.
She said in court: : 'Although we are no longer together, we have a daughter together. I know how crucial it is to have her father present in her life. I hope he gets the help he needs to become a better father'
The judge gave him credit for two days he spent in jail and said Berdon doesn't need additional time behind bars to be motivated to do the right thing
In December Hawaii News Now shared a fraction of the recording, which was cut and censored because of its extreme violent nature.
Berdon can be heard yelling: 'You're so f*****g pretty... you can get anybody you like.'
The 27-year-old victim is heard weeping in the background as she says during the assault: 'Arnold stop!'
At one point Berdon seemingly threatens to kill her: 'I'm going to murder you... I'm going to f*****g murder you.'
The incident happened around 2am November 18 at the couple's residence in the Waianae section of Honolulu County.
The physical abuse can be heard in the clip. At one point, Ostovich becomes silent, when she is believed to have fallen unconscious.
'Granted, they both had been drinking that night, but it doesn't change the fact that although both of them are professional mixed martial arts fighters and intoxicated, the fact that it rose to the level that his wife had to jump off the balcony ... to run for safety, still troubles Arnold,' Breiner said. 'He thinks about it all the time.'
Police initially arrested Berdon on a charge of second-degree attempted murder. Prosecutors later charged him with second-degree assault.
After pleading no contest to assault in March, Berdon said he wanted to spare his family from a legal battle.
Following the incident, Ostovich Berdon dropped out of a January UFC Fight Night match against Paige VanZant but later decided to go through with it, saying she was healing. Berdon has fought for some minor MMA promotions.
The couple's divorce decree was filed Wednesday, with full custody of the couple's 6-year-old daughter going to Ostovich Berdon.
Berdon will have supervised visits with his daughter and will ask for reconsideration of custody after completing anger management and domestic violence intervention classes.
'I thank my wife for being strong for my daughter,' Berdon said.
