News broke on Monday that UFC flyweight Rachael Ostovich had been hospitalized due to an alleged domestic violence attack initiated by her husband, Arnold Berdon. It is now understood that Berdon has been arrested on an attempted murder charge.
TMZ first reported that Berdon had been arrested. A fellow MMA fighter, Berdon is now in custody according to the Honolulu Police Department. Berdon holds a record of 7-2 in MMA, and last fought for Titan FC in June.
It was alleged that the 27-year-old attacked Ostovich last Sunday morning at their home, leaving her with multiple injuries, including a broken orbital bone.
Ostovich was due to face Paige VanZant at the UFC’s first ESPN event on January 19th, but in a statement released on Tuesday, Ostovich’s management team confirmed she is out of the fight. It’s unclear if the UFC will pull VanZant from the January card, or seek a replacement.
The attempted murder charge against Berdon could be changed later on (per MMA Fighting), and he is yet to appear in front of a judge. Even if Berdon is cleared of the charges and released, a restraining order means that he will not be able to come into contact with Ostovich. If convicted of second-degree attempted murder, Berdon could face life imprisonment with the possibility of parole, per Hawaii law.
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