Ex-UFC fighter Josh Grispi books first fight since 2014 domestic violence arrest

Josh Grispi has been booked to compete in his first fight since his 2014 arrest for domestic violence.

A former UFC and WEC fighter, Grispi (14-5) will compete at “NEF 42: Symphony of Destruction” on Feb. 8 at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine. At an event held Friday, the promotion announced Grispi, 31, will be taking on Bruce Boyington (17-11) for its featherweight championship.

In August 2014, Grispi was arrested after what the Taunton Daily Gazette reported as a “vicious beating” of his wife Kaitlyn Grispi. According to the report, a half-naked and bloody Kaitlyn ran to a neighbor’s house in attempt to escape from Josh. The blood was a result of a dog attack.

According to police, Josh trained the couple’s dog to attack Kaitlyn. Then, Josh would choke the dog unconscious. Local police were called, and Josh was arrested. He was held without bail on domestic abuse and assault charges. Middleboro police officer Richard Harvey called the attacks “the worst case of domestic abuse I’ve ever seen.”

When police entered the home, they found a marijuana farm, as well as numerous guns and ammunition unsecured, feet away from the couple’s 1-year-old child. Grispi did have the proper license for the eight guns found, according to police.

The arrest was Grispi’s second in three days. He had been arrested and released on $2,000 bail just prior.

In October 2014, the couple appeared on an episode of “Dr. Phil.” Kaitlyn expressed her love for Josh and largely dismissed concerns of Josh doing anything wrong. Grispi joined the panel via video from jail.

After a five-day trial in June 2017, a jury found Grispi guilty of seven charges. The seven charges were as follows:

• seven counts of Improper Storage of a Firearm
• five counts of Assault and Battery
• two counts of Threat to Commit a Crime
• eight counts of Intimidating a Witness
• one count of Possession to Distribute Class D, Marijuana
• one count of Malicious Damage to a Motor Vehicle
• one count of Attempt to Procure Perjury

Grispi was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in the House of Corrections and five years probation.

In October 2017, Kaitlyn Grispi reappeared on Dr. Phil and claimed she did not accurately represent her situation with Josh. Kaitlyn said she only shrugged off Josh’s behavior in an attempt to get him out of jail.

“I was trying to get my husband out of jail and when I said he wasn’t abusing me, I was lying,” Kaitlyn said in a promo for the episode. “I was afraid of him. … Josh was using me to get out of jail. I felt duped. Josh is a phony and a con-artist. He twists things around to make him seem like some sweet, innocent guy. In the end, he’s not. I was definitely brainwashed by Josh.”

Grispi competed four times each for the UFC and WEC, respectively. Under the WEC banner, Grispi went undefeated with victories over the likes of Jens Pulver, Mark Hominick, L.C. Davis, and Micah Miller.

Grispi’s luck flipped when the UFC absorbed WEC. In four UFC outings, Grispi went winless against Dustin Poirier, George Roop, Rani Yahya, and Andy Ogle. He was released from the promotion in early 2013.