War Machine 'I Hate The Man I Used To Be' ... Apologizes to Ex-GF
EXCLUSIVE
Ex-MMA star War Machine[1] insists he's no longer the woman-beating maniac he used to be -- he's found Jesus and changed his life ... and he's begging his ex-GF for forgiveness.
War Machine's story made national headlines -- he was a super talented UFC fighter who lost it all in 2014 when he viciously attacked his then-girlfriend, Christy Mack[2], when he caught her with another man.
Mack's injuries were horrific -- 18 broken bones, broken eye socket, broken nose and a lacerated liver. The other victim, Corey Thomas[3], was choked out and bitten before escaping.
War Machine was eventually convicted[4] on 29 felony counts and sentenced to life in prison[5] with the possibility of parole after 36 years.
Now, the imprisoned fighter -- real name Jon Koppenhaver -- is speaking for the first time from behind bars as part of a documentary by Jon Bravo[6] ... and he's expressing serious remorse.
"There's not a day that goes by that I don't regret that, and I hate it," he says.
"Nobody hates me as much as I hate the man that I used to be."
Machine says he initially blamed Christy[7] for the incident because she was cheating on him -- but has now realized none of it was her fault ... he was the bad guy, period.
"From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to Christy. I'm sorry, Christy."
The full interview with War Machine will be released