UFC fighter Irwin Rivera charged with attempted murder, claims ‘higher power’ told him to stab 2 sisters

UFC fighter Irwin Rivera has been charged with attempted murder in south Florida after police said he confessed to stabbing his two sisters in a near-deadly attack he allegedly blamed on a “higher power.”

The suspect told cops that he went into a guest bedroom where his sisters were sleeping early Thursday morning and “began stabbing them” with a brass knuckle knife, police wrote in an arrest affidavit.

“I KILLED MY SISTERS,” he told officers after being arrested, according to the document.

The victims survived the brutal assault, but authorities said one of them had two collapsed lungs while the other sustained multiple stab wounds to her face, back, arms and hands.

It’s still unclear what led to the incident, but Rivera said he “killed” the women because “it was his purpose” after being told to do so by a “higher power,” according to police. UFC officials said the 31-year-old athlete’s mental health may have played a role.

“UFC is aware of the recent incident involving Irwin Rivera and subsequently received information from his management that he has been exhibiting behavior consistent with mental health issues,” the group said in a statement to MMAFighting.com. “The allegations are extremely troubling and the organization is currently gathering additional information.

The mixed martial arts bantamweight and former Titan FC champion last fought in October, when he lost to Andre Ewell at UFC Vegas 11, according to the MMA website.

Thursday’s shocking attack happened at Rivera’s home in Boyton Beach, about 14 miles south of West Palm Beach.

Police said they were en route to the scene when they found Rivera’s 22-year-old sister lying on the roadway “covered in blood.” The woman, who had stab wounds to her lungs, told cops that Rivera had attacked her and that her sister was still in the house, according to the affidavit.

The 33-year-old sister was found a short time later with multiple wounds in her body. She told police that she and her younger sister were visiting their brother when they woke up with the man repeatedly stabbing them.

Officers also spoke to Rivera’s neighbors, one of whom described waking up by a loud banging at their front door and finding a woman covered in blood and begging for help.

“HES TRYING TO KILL ME, PLEASE HELP MY SISTER,” one of the victims told the neighbor, according to the affidavit.

Moments later, the neighbor was calling 911 when Rivera walked by the house and told them to shut the door an that everything would be OK, police said. He then started running and tried to flee the crime scene before being arrested a short time later, police said.

Rivera was charged with two counts of attempted murder and is being held without bond at the Palm Beach County Jail.