UFC fighter who ‘hospitalized his sisters in knife attack’ is given conditional release after insanity plea is approved by judge

A UFC fighter who had been behind bars since January on two attempted murder charges after allegedly attacking his sisters with a knife has been freed from custody, with a judge ruling him not guilty by reason of insanity.

Bantamweight Irwin Rivera, an MMA star who made his UFC debut in May, spent 10 months in a Florida detention center after allegedly attacking his sisters with a brass-knuckle knife and repeatedly stabbing them while they were asleep after they flew in from New York to help with his erratic behavior weeks before a fight, ESPN said.

Officers embarked on a four-hour manhunt, only to be told by Rivera that he believed he had killed his sisters on orders from a "higher power" because it was “his purpose”, according to an MMA Fighting report on the police account of the incident.

Both sisters are said to have been found with multiple stab wounds, with the younger of the two also reportedly suffering two collapsed lungs.

The 32-year-old's siblings said the alleged attacks were out of character and defended Rivera during his case in acts of support which are said to have been taken into account as part of the ruling.

Rivera purportedly pleaded not guilty to dementia after his arrest. A series of recommendations alongside his release, including maintaining medication for bipolar disorder, complementary therapy, permanent supervision from family or friends and attempts to return to working life are said to have been stipulated.

Teammates including welterweight number two Gilbert Burns offered to supervise Rivera during his release, ESPN said, with the fighter allowed to stay in contact with his family and declared functional and drug and alcohol free.

Dominance CEO Ali Abdelaziz, who manages Rivera and was former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov's representative before his retirement, also provided a 'written statement that pledged to assist Rivera in future work endeavors.'

"I’ve been helping Irwin Rivera with his career as his manager," Abdelaziz tweeted in January.

"This man showed nothing but respect, honesty and integrity. Since this incident, I’ve been talking to his two sisters and mother who are the victims. They said they love him and support him."

Abdelaziz also shared a purported text message at the time from one of Rivera's sisters, Leysle, calling the fighter "the sweetest, most loving, positive being" who had "fallen into an unstable mindstate".

Former Titan FC champion Rivera has not fought since a split decision loss to Andre Ewell at UFC Vegas 11 in September 2020.

He beat Ali AlQaisi the previous month and had lost to ranked Georgian Giga Chikadze on his debut for the promotion.