Dana White: War Machine, Josh Grispi assault cases are 'horrifying'

BANGOR, Maine – UFC President Dana White is disgusted by the alleged domestic assault cases at the hands of MMA fighters War Machine and Josh Grispi.

At one point in their careers, both War Machine (14-5) and Grispi (14-5) fought under the UFC banner, though it has been several years since either man graced the octagon.

Even though both are now former UFC fighters, White has kept up with the latest news regarding the two athletes, and he’s horrified by the allegations pointed toward War Machine, who has been accused of a vicious assault on ex-girlfriend and adult film star Christy Mack.

“It’s crazy,” White told MMAjunkie on Friday following weigh-ins for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 47 in Bangor, Maine. “What I can’t believe is that they haven’t caught him yet. They have all these bounty hunters looking for him, the police are looking for him, and nobody can find him. That’s pretty crazy. It’s horrible, man. Horrible.”

The bounty hunter White spoke of is “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” who has threatened to track down War Machine as he continues to evade the criminal compliant filed against him by the Clark County Justice Court in Nevada.

War Machine, who had a brief stint with the UFC following his run on “The Ultimate Fighter 6” reality series, most recently fought in October 2013, when he suffered a loss to Ron Keslar in the semifinal round of Bellator’s Season 9 welterweight tournament.

White found the allegations pointed toward Grispi to be disturbing, as well. The 25-year-old was arrested earlier this month and charged with assault and battery against his wife, four counts of improper storage of a large-capacity firearm near minor, and three counts of improper storage of a rifle/shotgun near a minor, among other things.

Grispi then was arrested a second time days later for violating the conditions of his release and sent to jail. Police said the fighter had trained his pitbull to attack his wife and that she had been “chewed up” in an attack. A pot farm was found when police searched his house, and a box of guns and ammunition lay unsecured next to Grispi’s three-year-old child.

In addition to the assault and weapons charges, Grispi is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, violating a restraining order, animal cruelty, malicious damage to a motor vehicle and drug possession to cultivate marijuana.

Despite the alleged incident, Grispi’s wife, Kaitlyn, recently said she does not wish to separate from her husband.

White said the details surrounding War Machine’s case didn’t come as a huge shock due given his criminal history. But when it came to Grispi, he never expected the eight-time UFC and WEC veteran to be capable of the accusations pointed towards him.

“We all know War Machine. When you hear something like that, it’s horrifying to hear about it – but War Machine, you’re like, OK,” White said. “But Grispi? I never would have seen that coming. I never saw that coming. That kid didn’t seem to have that type of demeanor. You just never know.”

Once a promising up-and-comer, Grispi won four straight fights in the now-defunct WEC before his transition to the UFC and subsequent career slide. He was tapped to fight featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 125, but an injury to the champ and Grispi’s subsequent loss to replacement Dustin Poirier halted the plans.

While White has no personal or business relationship with Grispi, he can’t help but reiterate the same emotion he feels toward War Machine: horror.

“It’s sad and it’s horrifying,” White said. It’s bad news. Terrible.”