Former MMA fighter Phil Baroni has been arrested in Mexico for allegedly killing his girlfriend, the prosecutor’s office in the Pacific coastal state of Nayarit has announced.
According to the prosecutor’s office, a woman was found dead in San Fernando on Sunday. Officials later identified the former UFC star as the suspect and said an initial hearing in the case would be held Monday, the Associated Press reported.
According to authorities, the woman, later identified as Paola, was found in bed, covered only by a sheet. Her body had several bruises.
The Tribuna de Bahía newspaper reported that Baroni contacted police and said the woman slipped and hit her head after he threw her into the shower.
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LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 19: Former mixed martial artist Phil Baroni competes in the Raising the Stakes for Cerebral Palsy Celebrity Poker tournament at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino hosted by the One Step Closer Foundation to raise money and awareness for people with cerebral palsy on June 19, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)
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Authorities said Baroni claimed he then helped her onto the bed and brought her a blanket when she complained of being cold.
He then allegedly asked Baroni to bring him cigarettes and beer, the outlet reported. When he returned to the cigarette room, he got into bed with Paola because she thought she was asleep.
It is not clear if Baroni had legal representation.
Phil Baroni of the USA (C) pins Brazil’s Rodrigo Ribeiro during their ONE Fighting Championship (FC) mixed martial arts (MMA) fight at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Manila on August 31, 2012. Indelibly linked with the ‘Thrilla in Manila’, where Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier ended their bitter boxing rivalry some 37 years ago, Araneta Coliseum welcomed the «future of fighting» on Friday at the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) event. From philippines. Photo taken on August 31, 2012.
(REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo)
Baroni, 46, was born in New York and is listed as a welterweight with a record of 15-18-0 on the UFC website.
The incident marks the second recent UFC-related violent event in Mexico. UFC president Dana White was seen in a video posted by TMZ slapping his wife, Anne, while the two were on vacation in Cabo San Lucas in December.
LAS VEGAS – NOVEMBER 21: UFC fighter Phil Baroni (L) fights against UFC fighter Amir Sadollah (R) during their welterweight fight at UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on November 21, 2009, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
Video of the incident went viral on social media. White told TMZ in an interview that he was «embarrassed» and concerned about how his three children were affected.
«It is what it is. And whatever people say, it’s deserved. I deserve it. It happened. I don’t know why it happened and my wife and I have apologized, we’ve apologized to our kids, and this is one of those things that everyone is going to participate in. I don’t care what people think about this. We are more concerned with our children and taking care of our family.»
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Baroni last fought in September 2019, where he was defeated via submission.
Associated Press contributed to this report.