Headline Lets Convicted Domestic Abuser Off Easy
Or Make Sure The Message Is Clear
Welcome to the latest C’Mon Now, a newsletter focused on mixed martial arts. This is the place where I’ll share my thoughts on all the goings-on in MMA. Those thoughts could range from media criticism to advice for folks looking to get into MMA writing to why certain fighters or managers are not good for the sport.
Today I look at how a headline can be misleading and allow a convicted domestic abuser off lightly and put no heat on the promotion who signed him.
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In early August 2014, Kaitlyn Grispi's mother went to the Middleboro, Massachusetts police to show them a photograph her daughter had sent her. That photo, according to the Taunton Gazette, showed Kaitlyn's bruised and bloody face. When the police arrived at the Grispi residence, which Kaitlyn shared with her husband, former UFC fighter Josh Grispi, they found handguns, rifles, an assault rifle, and ammunition. The police said many of the guns were improperly stored. Some of those firearms were close to the playpen of the couple's one-year-old daughter.
Josh was charged with multiple counts of improperly storing firearms near minors, as well as assault and battery. He was taken into custody. Josh posted $2,000 bail a few days later. Kaitlyn was at home that day. The two began to argue not long after Josh returned from his weekend in jail.
"Kaitlyn said she ran down the street and hid under a bush and Joshua found her. Joshua then began punching her in the head and forced her into the home," according to court documents, "Joshua got her inside the house and kept punching and kicking her over and over. Joshua was yelling at her, 'You want me to (expletive) kill you?'"
Kaitlyn then said Josh sent the couple's dog after her. She was able to get away from the dog and run to a neighbors house where she hid while the neighbor called the police.
Josh was arrested. During a search of the home, police uncovered more ammunition, 20 marijuana plants, 15 grams of cocaine and two teacup pot-belly pigs being kept as pets in the basement. The dog, who police said had been trained to attack Kaitlyn, was also seized.
"It's the worst case of domestic abuse I've ever seen," said Middleboro police officer Richard Harvey.
The attack left Kaitlyn with a broken wrist and a concussion. Josh was denied bail after the second assault.
Court records included texts that Josh had sent Kailyn:
"UR (expletive) dead and if u even try n bring my kids into it the worse it will b for u and if u try and make a seen (sic) I'll choke u unconscious and smash ur throat and if u get worse n run around after I'm goin to let Buddy have at u and I'll walk out of the room."
"Don't cure (sic) you whore, That's all u think abor (sic) ur a (expletive) scum bag piece of (expletive) who I'm goin enjoy choking to death."
"U better not b bluffing about cops cuz I don't joke ur dead when I see u... Literally. I don't care I'm going to beat u n throw u to buddy, Ur dead."
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In June, Josh was convicted on 25 counts of assault and gun charges. Judge Richard Chin sentenced Josh to 5-1/2 years in prison. The former fighter was also given five years probation.
Josh was found guilty on seven counts of improper storage of a firearm, five counts of assault and battery, two counts of threat to commit a crime, eight counts of intimidating a witness, one count of malicious damage to a motor vehicle, one count of attempt to procure perjury and one count of possession to distribute marijuana.
On February 8, 2020, Josh fights for New England Fights. The fight is a title fight and NEF is calling the matchup "The biggest fight in NEF history." Which, okay, but also, hell no.
I want to be surprised that an MMA promotion would sign someone like Grispi, but when you have the UFC rolling Greg Hardy into the octagon and promoting him, well, clearly, any press is good press.
And speaking of the press. The headline that first brought this to my attention is from MMA Junkie and it reads, "Ex-UFC fighter Josh Grispi books first fight since 2014 domestic violence arrest."
That's a bad and misleading headline.
That headline does a disservice to the reader and the survivor of the assault. A reader who does nothing but read the headline could walk away with the impression that no charges were filed in the case. Also, it lets the promotion off the hook for signing Josh.
I know the details are covered in the story, but if someone doesn't get past the headline, they won't have any clue about just how horrific Josh Grispi's crimes were. At the very least, the headline should mention that Josh was convicted of assaulting his wife.
It's an incredibly soft headline. What would we think if someone put up a headline that read "Rae Carruth Attends' X' For First Time Since Arrest"? That wouldn't fly. Neither should this.
MMA media needs to do better.
