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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 12:27 p.m., Saturday, May 2, 2009

MMA: Ex-fighter Pupa sentenced for punching Nevada trooper

Associated Press

RENO, Nev. — A former mixed martial arts cage fighter has been sentenced to one year in jail for punching a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper who pulled him over for drunken driving.

Joshua Pupa, 28, of Fall River, Mass., was sentenced Friday in Washoe County District Court to the maximum term after earlier pleading guilty to a gross misdemeanor charge of battery on a police officer.

Pupa, who now is a construction worker, also pleaded guilty Friday to drunken driving in Reno Justice Court.

He was accused of assaulting a trooper who suffered head, wrist and knee injuries. Another trooper had to twice fire his Taser gun at Pupa to stop the Oct. 24 attack in Reno.

According to his lawyer, Pupa is a former high school wrestler who tried MMA fighting and retired four years ago. His record was 2-2.

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Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com