Earlier this year, former Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator MMA mixed martial artist, War Machine, was found guilty of the brutal attacks on his former girlfriend Christy Mack, and her boyfriend, Corey Thomas. Today the former fighter was sentenced to 36 years to life in prison. He will be 71-years old when he is eligible for parole.
The day his life would change forever
Born, Jonathan Koppenhaver, he had his name legally changed to War Machine in 2008. In March, he was found guilty of 29 of 34 charges brought upon him including sexual assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
In 2014, Machine attacked Mack, an adult film star whom he had been romantically connected with, and Thomas, after breaking into Mack's home. He also had charges of attempted murder and burglary with a deadly weapon, although those were dismissed.
Mack's injuries included 18 broken bones, a broken nose, missing teeth, a fractured rib and a ruptured liver.
After a more than week long manhunt, War Machine was captured and arrested in California. Less than a year later he attempted suicide while in prison. A prison guard found him unresponsive with cloth tied around his neck and tied to his bed. He was cut from the cloth and became stable less than 15 minutes after being found.
War Machine turned down plea deals that included a sentence of 16 years to life, and 18 to 40 years so that he could have a trial.
Today, the decision did not work out in his favor.
Troubled Past
War Machine last competed in professional mixed martial arts in 2013. He was a star on the hit reality television series, 'The Ultimate Fighter' in 2007. He was released from the UFC after rejecting a fight offer given to him by then matchmaker Joe Silva, along with comments he made about Evan Tanner, a UFC fighter who had recently passed away at the time.
After heading to Bellator MMA, comments he made online about then President Barack Obama caused him to be released there as well.
In 2007, War Machine was involved in a fight in a parking lot in Las Vegas and arrested after striking a man in the face and choking him unconscious. Several months later he was sentenced to three years probation and 30 days community service.
In February 2010 he was sentenced to one year in jail after a felony conviction for two bar fights. He served time in solitary confinement at George Bailey Detention Facility in San Diego.
War Machine also starred in roughly one dozen adult films and was featured in Hustler Magazine in 2014 along with Mack.
