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By Angelica Martinez
UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM
5:03 p.m. February 21, 2008
SAN DIEGO – Reality TV personality Jon Koppenhaver was sentenced to three years probation Thursday and had assault charges reduced in Superior Court.
Koppenhaver, 26, a trainer at San Diego's Undisputed Fitness and Training Center, faces a year in jail if he violates probation. He is also known as “War Machine” on Spike TV's reality series “The Ultimate Fighter.”
He pleaded guilty in December to felony assault in the choking of a man outside the fitness center. Those charges were reduced to a misdemeanor.
The professional cage-fighter choked a Las Vegas man unconscious and hit him in the face Sept. 2.
The victim, Darren Zatkow, testified in court last December that he was visiting San Diego when he was assaulted outside the fitness club after calling a group of shirtless men “tough guys.”
Zatkow said he was grabbed from behind in a chokehold and lost consciousness. He was punched in the face while he was on the ground and suffered facial fractures and nerve damage.
Judge Frank Brown said in December that Koppenhaver's plea agreement could result in a misdemeanor punishment. Zatkow and the prosecutor said that was acceptable.
“I'm not interested in destroying somebody's life,” Zatkow said previously.
Prosecutor David Williams III said he agreed to have the charges lowered because Zatkow did not oppose the lower charges and Zatkow's injuries were not as serious as initially thought.
Koppenhaver's career as a professional fighter was not a factor in having the charges lowered, Williams said.
In addition to probation, Koppenhaver was ordered to complete 30 days of public works service, such as picking up trash along the road, Williams said. Brown also ordered Koppenhaver to stay away from Zatkow and pay $2,300 in restitution
Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), a cast member from “The Ultimate Fighter 6” who posted a Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night performance at the show’s live finale, will next fight May 24 at UFC 84.
The 26-year-old fighter mentioned the in a recent MySpace bulletin. A possible opponent was not named
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