Rachael Ostovich‘s husband Arnold Berdon has pleaded no contest to assaulting his wife back in November.
According to ESPN and the Associated Press late Thursday, Berdon, the husband of Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight Ostovich, is pleading no contest to an assault charge against his wife. As a result, Berdon will likely be sentenced to probation, and according to Judge Trish Morikawa, he might not serve any time in prison if he participates in a domestic violence program. Ostovich is also seeking a divorce.
Initially pleading not guilty to the charge of second-degree assault, he opted to plead no contest instead to keep his family out of the courts any longer. Pleading no contest means that he will not contest the case, but also contends that he is not admitting guilt. The sentencing hearing is slated for May 16, and the maximum possible sentence for this charge is five years in prison.
In November, Berdon was arrested and initially charged with second-degree attempted murder after allegedly attacking Ostovich, although the prosecution lowered the charge to second-degree assault. The report alleged that he struck her repeatedly in the head and body, leaving her coughing up blood and with a fractured orbital bone.
A statement from Ostovich read, “I’m satisfied that Arnold is accepting responsibility for his actions and getting the help needed so that he can be the best father to our daughter.”
Ostovich competed at UFC Fight Night 143 in January, overcoming her injuries to compete on the first UFC card airing on ESPN. Ultimately, she fell short, losing by submission to Paige VanZant.