Mixed martial arts fighter Arnold Berdon, 27, was charged Wednesday with second-degree assault in the Sunday morning beating that sent his wife, mixed martial arts fighter Rachael Ostovich, 27, to the hospital.
His bail was set at $75,000.
Ostovich is home from the hospital but will be returning for checkups on the fracture to the orbital bone around her eye socket, according to her representative, Brian Butler-Au. He said the family is asking for privacy while they “sort through” what happened.
Berdon had been arrested Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder.
Ostovich had filed a request for a restraining order against Berdon on Monday, alleging he punched her after a night out with family. She said she fell to the ground, gasped for air and escaped through a balcony.
A judge granted the restraining order, which prohibits Berdon from approaching Ostovich and the couple’s daughter, who is about 5 years old.
Butler-Au said some have accused Ostovich’s team of downplaying the incident, but he said they’re just trying to be sensitive to the young family’s situation.
“The daughter wasn’t there, but obviously the daughter has a father. And that’s Arnold. And now Arnold has got to own up to, pay the consequences for, what he did,” Butler-Au said by telephone from China, where he’s visiting for a Ultimate Fighting Championship event.
Ostovich, who fights at 125 pounds, has withdrawn from her UFC mixed martial arts bout against Paige VanZant scheduled for Jan. 19.
