In a revealing interview from prison, former MMA competitor War Machine (Jon Koppenhaver) made startling claims about fellow star Phil Baroni’s neurological condition while discussing their shared history in mixed martial arts.
Speaking to the MMA History Podcast while serving a life sentence, War Machine described Baroni as having “the worst CTE of anyone that I’ve trained with.”
The claim came during a discussion about Baroni’s current legal troubles involving a m*rder charge in Mexico. War Machine, who trained alongside Baroni for years, painted a disturbing picture of his former training partner’s cognitive decline.
“Phil will be on, we’ve been going to Couture’s gym for like a decade. He’ll be on the side of the road calling me, ‘War Machine, how do I get to Couture’s gym?'” he recalled. “And I’ll be like, ‘What?’…. So, I’m giving him directions to a gym we’ve gone to for 10 years, and we live 15 minutes away from the gym. I mean, he’ll ask you the same question three times in an hour.”
Once a prominent figure in early-2000s MMA, Phil Baroni built a long and turbulent career across major promotions including the UFC, PRIDE FC, Strikeforce, ONE FC, Bellator, and King of the Cage. Baroni compiled a 16–19 professional record before life outside the cage began to overshadow his combat legacy.
Baroni was arrested in Mexico on suspicion of killing his girlfriend at age 46. Longtime peers had already expressed deep concerns about his erratic behavior and apparent neurological decline. Former UFC heavyweight Josh Barnett and fellow veterans like Jake Shields described his emotional instability in recent years as heartbreaking—pointing to suspected CTE as a major factor.
War Machine expressed concern that Baroni’s severe brain trauma may have played a role in the death he’s accused of causing. “Phil’s a maniac, guaranteed he’ll abuse a woman. Guaranteed, just like I would. He’s a piece of crap in that sense like I am, like I was, but he would not kill her, bro,” War Machine stated. “And I think that has to be attributed to the CTE. I think he started smacking her around, wires got crossed, he snaps out of it, and she’s dead.”
The interview, conducted via prison phone system, marked War Machine’s first extensive public discussion since his incarceration. He spoke candidly about various aspects of his MMA career, from his early days at Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den gym to his stint on TUF and subsequent run in Bellator.
He also disclosed details about the underground aspects of early MMA culture, including st**oid smuggling from Mexico and various side hustles fighters employed to make ends meet.
War Machine revealed he had warned Baroni about his trajectory years before the tragedy. “During right after COVID, I called Phil and I could tell something stupid. I said, ‘Phil, listen to me right now, bro. You need to repent and come to Jesus today,'” he recounted. “I said, ‘Whatever you’re going on, dude. Whatever you’re doing, you’re not going to be UFC champ. Your career’s done. Repent. Come to Jesus.'”
According to War Machine, Baroni’s ex-wife later told him that Phil cried when she read him the letter, saying “Machine was right. I should have listened to Machine.” War Machine described Baroni’s current condition as dire, claiming his former training partner now weighs just 130-135 pounds and has had teeth knocked out by guards in the Mexican facility where he’s being held.
The CTE discussion highlighted a broader issue within the MMA community that War Machine believes contributes to the tragic endings of many fighters’ lives. He referenced the 2008 death of Evan Tanner and his own opponent Blavina, who also died by suicide, as examples of competitors struggling after their careers ended.
Throughout the interview, War Machine spoke about his religious conversion in 2014 while in solitary confinement, attributing his ability to maintain zero disciplinary infractions during 11 years of incarceration to his Christian faith.
