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STAR-ADVERTISER / 2014
Mixed martial arts fighter Rachel Ostovich, right, shown here in a 2014 bout against Misha Nassiri at Aloha Stadium, had to cancel a January fight after being injured in an assault in Waianae Sunday.
Waianae’s Rachael Ostovich was forced to pull out of her upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts fight in January with injuries suffered in an assault at a Waianae home early Sunday morning.
Her husband, Hawaii mixed martial arts fighter Arnold Berdon III, was arrested tonight on suspicion of second degree attempted murder. Berdon, 27, was in custody with no bail after he reportedly turned himself in at 5 p.m, according to police.
The incident left Ostovich, an MMA fighter who competes at 125 pounds in the UFC, with a fractured orbital bone, according to her management team, SuckerPunch Entertainment.
They released a statement Monday night saying, “a very unfortunate incident occurred Sunday night with Rachael Ostovich that ended with her suffering a fractured orbital and other injuries. As a result of these injuries she will not be able to compete in her upcoming bout with Paige VanZant on January 19th. Rachael is now home from the hospital with her family and will be going back for further check ups on her orbital. The family would like to ask for some privacy as they sort through this matter. We would like to thank the UFC for all their support on this matter as well as the fans and media for your concern.”
The fight was booked for UFC’s debut show on ESPN, which is paying a reported $1.5 billion over five years for the entire rights package to broadcast UFC events on their multiple media platforms.
Ostovich is 1-1 in the organization since making her debut in December 2017.
The fight was a huge opportunity against VanZant, who has headlined two UFC shows and has mainstream popularity after her appearance on the TV show “Dancing with the Stars.”
Berdon, 5-foot-9 and 135 pounds, is 7-2 in his pro career, while Ostovich is 5-foot-3 and 125 pounds and is 4-4 overall.
Berdon and Ostovich, who have a child, were allegedly arguing before the 2 a.m. assault. The temporary restraining order expires May 18.
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The Star-Advertiser’s Timothy Hurley contributed to this report.
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