Former UFC fighter accused of battering, raping pregnant girlfriend in Edgewater

(This story was originally published by The Daytona Beach News-Journal)

A WEC and UFC veteran from Edgewater, Fla., was arrested Thursday morning, accused of battering and raping his pregnant girlfriend, according to police.

The 36-year-old victim went to Halifax Health Medical Center for a rape exam, an allegation that is under investigation, police said.

Edgewater police officers arrested Richard “Cleat” Crunkilton Jr., 44, at 2:24 a.m. Thursday at his Magnolia Street home and charged him with aggravated battery on a pregnant person, court records show.

Crunkilton was released Thursday evening from the Volusia County Branch Jail where he was being held on $5,000 bail.

‘You’re not moving out’

Edgewater police said Crunkilton’s girlfriend, who is three months pregnant, called them Thursday and said Crunkilton battered her as she was packing to leave him. The woman and Crunkilton had been living together for six months, police said.

Crunkilton came to the home and grabbed the woman’s shoulders from behind and pulled her backward out of the bathroom and pushed her into a bed, an arrest report showed.

“You’re not moving out. You’re not packing your stuff. You’re not going anywhere,” Crunkilton told the woman, according to police.

Officers observed a bruise on the woman’s left arm and back, the report stated.

The woman also reported that Crunkilton had sex with her against her will, the arrest report noted.

Who is Richard ‘Cleat’ Crunkilton?

According to online reports, Crunkilton began his professional MMA career in 1999, fighting out of New Smyrna Beach. He signed on with World Extreme Cagefighting in 2002 and quickly signed with the UFC in 2003.

He faced Hermes Franca at UFC 42 in Miami where he lost by unanimous decision. The organization released him before he could fight again and he returned to World Extreme Cagefighting.

He had a total of 23 fights of which he won 19 — eight by knockout, seven by submission and four by decision. He fought in the lightweight division.