War Machine in court

A former UFC fighter has another opponent in court -- video evidence.

Security video shows “War Machine” and a friend getting into a fistfight inside Thrusters lounge in Pacific Beach, prosecutors said.

The video, played in court on Thursday, shows War Machine continuing to throw punches after bouncers attempted to break up the fight on March 30.

Bouncer Mathew Compton says one of the punches hit him in the mouth as he was on the ground subduing one of the men War Machine was fighting with.

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"It immediately knocked me back," said Compton, who is 6 feet 4 inches and weighs 315 pounds. “I grabbed for my mouth and kind of fell onto my butt and it took me a few seconds to come out of my daze."

When everyone was kicked out of the bar War Machine went crazy, Compton said. Security video showed him bouncing around and twice charging another bouncer outside the bar.

"He was focused in on security guard La fleur and went after him with everything he had," Compton said. "Beyond aggressive. Crazy almost, that's best way I can describe it, he was seeing nothing else at that point in my opinion."

The fighter is charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Witnesses testified at another hearing on Tuesday about a separate incident, in which War Machine allegedly smashed several glasses on a bar top when he was asked for identification.

Helen Geesman, a bartender at the Last Day Bar, said she was hit with glass during the incident.

"He got more and more irritated and then swiped his arm toward me -- swiped the whole bar clean, and there was quite a few bottles on the bar and the glass hit me," Geesman claimed.

War Machine appeared on the sixth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which is produced by the UFC. He legally changed his name from Jon Koppenhaver to War Machine.

The fighter has been arrested several times in the past for fighting outside of the ring including a guilty plea to assault in 2007.

Judge Charles Rogers is expected to decide on Friday if War Machine should stand trial.



Source: Bouncer: War Machine's Punch Left Me Dazed
NBC San Diego