MMA Fighter “War Machine” Faces 32 Felonies in Las Vegas Domestic Violence Case

Jonathan "War Machine" Koppenhaver faces two counts of attempted murder for an Aug. 8 incident that involved his porn star ex-girlfriend.

A professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter, accused of beating his ex-girlfriend, was charged with 32 felonies including attempted murder in a Nevada courtroom Wednesday.

Jonathan "War Machine" Koppenhaver, 32, faces two counts of attempted murder for an Aug. 8 incident that involved his porn star ex-girlfriend Christy Mack and a male friend.

Prosecutors filed 25 new charges that date back to May 2013 and are connected to the same relationship. They include kidnapping, battery by strangulation, lewdness, assault, coercion and a host of other charges.

Police say Mack was treated for extensive facial bruises, fractures and lost teeth.  She has publicly shared photographs of the attack on Twitter.

Koppenhaver waived his right to a preliminary hearing when he appeared in a packed Las Vegas courtroom Wednesday. He did not enter a plea.

The fighter has been in custody since his Aug. 15  arrest in a Simi Valley hotel. There had been a week-long manhunt for Koppenhaver on a warrant issued out of Las Veas.

A downtown San Diego gym where Koppenhaver used to train and teach was considered a potential place where he may surface, authorities said.

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One of Koppenhaver’s friends, Herman Terrau, told NBC 7 that he saw and spoke with the defendant at the gym the day before the alleged assault. Terrau said Koppenhaver was joking and talking about an upcoming fight.

In July 2010, Koppenhaver pleaded guilty to assaulting a female bartender and bouncer at two bars in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood. The incident was caught on surveillance tape and the fighter received three years of probation, along with a warning not to reoffend.

If convicted, Koppenhaver could face the rest of his life in prison.

Koppenhaver’s defense attorney said he hopes to focus on his client’s character as a human being, not as an MMA fighter.

The next hearing in the case was scheduled for Oct. 17.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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