Retired ex-UFC signee Sean Loeffler pleads guilty to sexual abuse

Retired MMA fighter Sean Loeffler was facing over 12 years in prison before pleading guilty to a sexual abuse charge in Oregon.

Last year, Loeffler, 42, was handed a two-year sentence in San Diego after accepting a deal and pleading guilty to multiple domestic violence charges. In total, Loeffler faced 11 charges involving four women.

Loeffler was paroled in November for time served and pre-sentence credit. A few months later in February, he was involved in another sexual incident, resulting in arrest on charges of felony sexual abuse and unlawful penetration, according to ABC-10 TV in San Diego.

The victim was a woman “incapable of consent by reason of mental incapacitation or physical helplessness,” according to a charging document in Lincoln County, Oregon. Loeffler pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of sexual abuse and an interception of communication offense, resulting in four felony charges being dropped.

Defense attorney Mike Arnold stated his client Loeffler was falsely accused, pointing to “several inconsistent statements” from the accuser in Oregon. The felony charges Loeffler faced carried minimum sentences of 12 years and six months to 16 years and 8 months.

“If you are a man falsely accused of a crime you have to weigh the risk that the type of people that falsely accuse you could also be on your jury,” Arnold said.

Although Arnold expects his client to be released Wednesday after formal sentencing in Oregon, there is still uncertainty if Loeffler will be extradited to California, as the San Diego Superior Court issued a warrant for an out of state detainer following his February arrest.

In 2012, Loeffler was minutes away from making his UFC debut against Buddy Roberts at UFC on FUEL TV 1. However, Loeffler hurt himself while warming up and was ruled out of the fight. He never made it back to the UFC, depsite not losing a fight on the regional scene since.