Local UFC Fighter Gets Jail Time In Domestic Abuse Case

A local mixed martial arts fighter will spend time in jail after being found guilty of multiple charges stemming from a domestic abuse incident that one officer described as "the worst case of domestic abuse I’ve ever seen."

Following a five-day trial and five hours of jury deliberation, Josh Grispi, 28, who lives in Middleboro and fights out of Rockland, according to his UFC profile, was found guilty of seven counts of improper storage of a firearm, five counts of assault and battery, two counts of threatening to commit a crime, eight counts of witness intimidation, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, malicious damage to a motor vehicle, and attempt to procure perjury, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney's office.

He was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in a house of corrections and five years probation. The DA's office requested eight to 10 years in a state prison

On Aug. 1, 2014, Middleboro police responded to the home, and Grispi informed them that there were firearms there. Police found three handguns, two rifles, an assault rifle and a Sig Sauer .45-caliber handgun. None of the weapons had been stored or secured properly, and Grispi’s license to carry had not been updated. The victim in the case obtained an emergency restraining order against Grispi, and he was placed under arrest on gun charges and a single count of domestic assault and battery. Grispi was arraigned and posted bail, according to the DA's office.

Three days later, police were called back to Grispi's home after a neighbor found that she go inside the house. The victim instead fled and hid under a bush. Grispi then grabbed the victim and began to punch her repeatedly in the head before forcing her into the house, she said. Once inside, Grispi continued to punch and kick the victim, yelling at her, “Do you want me to kill you?” she said. Grispi pulled the victim up off the floor by her hair while continuing to strike her, she said. She was able to make it to the bathroom and to the neighbor's home.

One officer described the incident as "the worst case of domestic abuse I’ve ever seen," according to the Taunton Gazette.

Since the arrest, Grispi has been held without bail.

As an MMA fighter, Grispi posted a 14-5 record and has not fought professionally since a Feb. 16, 2013, UFC fight against Andy Ogle.

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