War Machine: Former MMA fighter sentenced to life for kidnapping and assaulting ex-girlfriend

'I do know when he gets out he will kill me,' says former girlfriend

During the trial Mr Leiderman described Koppenhaver, who also worked as a pornographic actor, as a 'raging bull' with brain injuries from his MMA fighting career (War Machine/Twitter)

A mixed martial arts fighter known by the stage name of War Machine has been sentenced to a life in prison after he kidnapped and sexually assaulted his former girlfriend in 2014.

Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver was found guilty of having attacked Christy Mack, a well-known adult film actress, and her friend Corey Thomas after he accused them of having an affair together. The fighter was convicted by a Las Vegas jury of 29 felony counts in March of this year.

Ms Mack was left with a lacerated liver, fractured eye socket, nose, broken ribs and lost teeth after the assault.

During the sentencing, the model told the District Judge she was scared Koppenhaver would murder her if he is ever released.

Ms Mack said: “I don’t know if my life will feel complete in 12 years or 30 years and neither do you, but I do know when he gets out he will kill me”.

Koppenhaver, who will be qualified for parole when he is 71, voiced regret for his actions in a statement to the Las Vegas court and blamed them on anxiety and depression. Nevertheless, he claimed he had found religion since going to prison.

He said: "Not a day goes by that I don't seriously regret all those things that I did. I was a very, very lost, very empty person.

"And to top it off, something's not right with my head. Plain and simple. I’ve known that a long time and I’ve hated it. I’ve hated the way that I think. I’ve hated my impulses. Half the time, I don’t know why I do some the things I do. And some of the times I do things and I don’t even feel like I did them until it’s already done.”

He added: “I should have killed myself by now. There’s no reason right now that I shouldn’t be in the dirt right now laying next to Aaron Hernandez. That’s 100 per cent true.”

Hernandez, a former NFL star, killed himself in prison in April while doing a life sentence for murder.

Koppenhaver’s lawyer, Jay Leiderman, said the former MMA fighter, who won 14 out of the 19 fights he fought in, tried to hang himself in prison in January.

During trial, Mr Leiderman described Koppenhaver, who also worked as a pornographic actor, as a "raging bull" with brain injuries from his MMA fighting career. He said his emotions had been exacerbated by steroid and non-prescription stimulant and antidepressant drug usage which could have prompted changes in mood and violence which the defence attorney referred to as "roid rage."

Additional reporting by Associated Press