MMA News: Former UFC fighter Josh Grispi set to appear for first fight since his arrest

Josh Grispi
Josh Grispi

Former UFC and WEC fighter Josh Grispi has been booked to fight for the first time since he was arrested, trialed and sentenced to do time in the House of Corrections. According to a report by Taunton Daily Gazette in 2014, Grispi was arrested on the grounds of subjecting his spouse of three-years, Kaitlyn Grispi to domestic violence.

Grispi will be appearing at NEF 42: Symphony of Destruction against Bruce Boyington in a Featherweight MMA bout.

MMA Junkie reported on the matter.


Grispi served time for seven offenses

The local police of Middleboro intervened in August 2014 what the original report referred to as a "vicious beating", when Kaitlyn appeared half-naked at her neighbor's house, covered in blood. Immediately 911 was dialed and when the police arrived, they not only intercepted a scene of domestic violence and abuse but also found multiple firearms, a marijuana farm, and bags of cocaine inside the house where the couple lived with their 1 and 3-year-old children.

Grispi was arrested on the spot and held without bail. This happened only two days after he was arrested and released on $2,000 bail based on complaints made by Kaitlyn's mother about her daughter being abused.

This time, the police had ample proof as the marks and bruises on Kaitlyn were hard to miss. They were eventually reported to be made by the bites of their pet dog, whom Grispi had trained to attack upon command. The Jury found him guilty of seven different charges, which included five counts of assault and battery and sentenced him to five-and-a-half years in the House of Corrections and five years of probation.


Grispi's wife lied to ensure his freedom

Even after all this, Kaitlyn Grispi lied on an episode of Dr. Phil where the couple appeared and Josh joined in from behind the bars. She denied having any concerns about her husband doing anything wrong to her, although she had previously agreed to pull a restraining order against him.

However, in a later appearance in 2017, she admitted that she fabricated her statements in the previous episode because she was scared of the consequences. She accused Josh of gaslighting and manipulation and spilled the details on how he treated her throughout the three years of their marriage.

“I was trying to get my husband out of jail and when I said he wasn’t abusing me, I was lying. I was afraid of him. … Josh was using me to get out of jail. I felt duped. Josh is a phony and a con-artist. He twists things around to make him seem like some sweet, innocent guy. In the end, he’s not. I was definitely brainwashed by Josh.”

As far as Josh Grispi is concerned, his run in the UFC back in 2013 was the complete opposite of WEC, where he was undefeated throughout. But UFC treated him roughly, with four out of four losses to Dustin Poirier, George Roop, Rani Yahya, and Andy Ogle. He will be trying out his luck with NEF at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine on February, 8, Friday.


For latest news and rumors on UFC, check out the UFC News homepage!

Quick Links

Edited by Anirban Banerjee