Rachael Ostovich’s husband Arnold Berdon pleads no contest in domestic violence case

Rachael Ostovich’s husband has pleaded no contest in a case in which he was accused of domestic violence.

Arnold Berdon, also an MMA fighter, took the plea for second-degree assault, a felony, on Thursday in Hawaii Circuit Court, per online court records. The no-contest plea means Berdon will not contest the case, but he does not admit guilt. It is considered a conviction.

Berdon, 28, will be sentenced by a judge on May 16. He is facing five years of imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine, per the plea document obtained by MMA Fighting. He initially pleaded not guilty.

Berdon is accused of attacking Ostovich in the early morning hours of Nov. 18. Ostovich, a fighter in the UFC’s women’s flyweight division, was reportedly hospitalized for a broken orbital bone after escaping the scene. The original arrest charge was attempted murder. Ostovich claimed Berdon “repeatedly” punched her in the head, face and ribs, leading her to cough up blood and vomit.

Ostovich, 28, obtained a restraining order against Berdon in December that runs through 2038. She has also filed for divorce. Ostovich wrote in the restraining order filing that this was not the first time Berdon abused her.

In January, Ostovich was able to compete at UFC Brooklyn, the promotion’s first-ever card on ESPN. Ostovich fell in that bout to Paige VanZant by submission.