Phil Baroni, UFC Fighter, Accused of Killing Girlfriend

Phil Baroni, a former mixed martial arts fighter, is accused of killing his girlfriend. ESPN reports that Baroni has been arrested in Mexico for the murder. The information was released by the prosecutors' office in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit on Jan. 4. According to the report, a woman was found dead on Jan. 1 in the town of San Francisco. The office initially identified Baroni only by his nationality, American, and his first name in a statement. His identity was later confirmed by a state official ahead of a hearing in the case. 

Very few details about the incident were made public. Local news reported that a Mexican woman was found dead in a hotel room with bruises on her body. Per the newspaper Tribuna de la Bahia, Baroni flagged down police and said the woman had slipped and hit her head after he threw her into the shower. Baroni, a 46-year-old New York native, is listed as a welterweight with a 15-18-0 record on the UFC website.

Paola was found bruised and unresponsive in bed, covered by a sheet. Baroni reportedly told police the two got into an argument after he had been smoking marijuana and drinking beer, and the woman revealed being unfaithful, HuffPost reports.

Baroni told police he told the woman to take a shower and forcibly threw her in it. But he said she refused, and then she hit her head and slipped, injuring herself in the process. He alleges she asked him for cigarettes and beer when he helped her onto the bed. The former fighter also told police that after he got the items for the woman, he climbed into bed with her and believed she was asleep until he attempted to wake her. But she was unresponsive. A hearing is scheduled for the case in the coming days.