'I could taste the blood in my mouth' woman says; charges against former UFC
title contender reduced from felony battery by strangulation to six
misdemeanor counts
LAS VEGAS, March 31, 2022 -- Dr. Christopher Stellpflug, a
dentist from California, and his wife Julie Stellpflug, a business manager at
the dental practice, were viciously attacked by former Ultimate Fighting
Championship contender Chael Sonnen in a December 18 incident at the Four
Seasons Hotel Las Vegas that left Julie Stellpflug bloodied and Dr. Stellpflug
unable to breathe, according to their attorney, Kory Kaplan of the law firm
Kaplan Cottner.
The attack took place at approximately 7:30 p.m. in the
hallway of the 35th floor of the Four Seasons as the Stellpflugs were
returning to their room while on vacation in Las Vegas.
"We were walking
toward our room when I saw this big guy in the hallway, and I could tell he
was really messed up, making unintelligible noises," Julie Stellpflug said.
"He had no shoes or socks on, his shirt was partially ripped off and he had
blood on his clothing. We tried to avoid him, but he came at Chris and
violently knocked the cup he was holding out of his hand.
"I tried to tell him
that we were just trying to walk to our room, but he gets Chris into a
headlock and starts viciously beating on him with his fists. At that point I
started screaming for help, but he threw Chris to the other side of the
hallway, got on top of him and kept beating on him.
"He punched me in the face
multiple times, then threw me against the wall. I hit my head on a light
fixture and slumped down against the wall. My lip was split open and I could
taste the blood in my mouth."
Julie Stellpflug stands at 5-foot-3 and weighs
125 pounds.
Sonnen, 6-foot-1, fought as a heavyweight during his professional
MMA career. Christopher Stellpflug and Julie Stellpflug both suffered
concussions in the attack.
They are both currently in treatment with a
neurologist as a result of the attack. The couple has two boys, ages 7 and 12.
Although Sonnen was originally charged with a felony count of battery by
strangulation and 10 misdemeanor counts of battery, on Wednesday Las Vegas
Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure allowed prosecutors to file an amended
criminal complaint, reducing the charges against Sonnen to six misdemeanor
counts.
The Stellpflugs objected to the reduction in charges, speculating that
Sonnen may be receiving special treatment due to his celebrity status.
"This
shows that if you are the victim of an unprovoked violent attack in Las Vegas,
you better hope the attacker is not a celebrity, or you may not see justice,"
Christopher Stellpflug said.
Reacting to Sonnen's claim that he has no memory
of the events of that night, Julie Stellpflug said: "I wish I didn't remember
that night."
Kaplan said: "This is unlike anything I have ever seen. My
clients were contacted by the Clark County District Attorney's office and told
directly that felony charges were appropriate. My clients had no chance to
discuss the matter further with the District Attorney's office, yet the
decision was made against their wishes to drop the felony charge."
Christopher
Stellpflug said the violent, unprovoked attack by Sonnen left him unable to
breathe and floating in and out of consciousness.
"When we got out of the
elevator we saw this huge dude looking very disheveled with his shirt ripped
in half and blood on his robe," Christopher Stellpflug said. "He starts
getting very aggressive and flicks the drink out of my hand.
"Suddenly he's on
top of me, pounding me with his fists, then he puts me in a chokehold and I
can't breathe. The dude was like a monster the way he came at me.
"When I
looked up, I could see him throw Julie against the wall. She hit her head on a
light fixture and slid down the wall to the floor. Eventually I helped her run
down the hallway and got her into our room."
Several guests from neighboring
hotel rooms heard the commotion and attempted to break up the assault, but
Sonnen attacked them by throwing elbows and punching them with his closed
fists, according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police report. By that time,
security personnel from the hotel were responding to the scene.
"He grabbed
one security guy by his head, kneed him in the face and busted his nose open,"
Christopher Stellpflug said. "What this guy did is not forgivable."
Sonnen,
44, a mixed martial arts analyst for ESPN, amassed a professional MMA record
of 31-17-1 and was 0-3 in UFC world championship fights.
Contact: Jeff Haney
jeff@fierrocommunications.com
Office: (702) 385-7300
Cell: (702) 538-6117
SOURCE: Kaplan Cottner