Written by Ex-UFC fighter Diego Sanchez is currently in custody after he was arrested on a pair of gun-related charges in the early hours on Friday morning in Albuquerque, N.M.
Arrest records show that Sanchez, 43, was booked at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and he was hit with two charges — Shooting at or from a motor vehicle (no great bodily harm), which is a fourth-degree felony, and Negligent use of a deadly weapon (discharge), a misdemeanor.
He remains in custody with a judge still waiting to set bail for the veteran fighter.
The incident involved Sanchez leaning out of a car window where he was the passenger and firing a shot into the air while passing by crash. Police followed the vehicle where Sanchez was arrested, although he denied firing the shot but did tell the officer that there was a gun in the vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle, who is not facing any charges, told police that Sanchez fired the gun while he was in the passenger seat and at one point Sanchez started laughing while speaking to authorities.
Sanchez’s representative Ricky Kottenstette told MMA Fighting on Friday that the first Ultimate Fighter winner has been struggling with substance abuse in recent years, and he’s undergone rehabilitation a couple of times in the past with hopes that he’ll be able to receive the treatment needed to help him following this arrest.
At his peak, Sanchez was considered one of the top fighters in the UFC, which culminated in a title shot against B.J. Penn back in 2009. He came up short that night but Sanchez remained a stalwart on the UFC roster for 15 years while competing across multiple weight classes.
His final appearance in the UFC came in 2020 when he lost a decision to Jake Matthews. Sanchez continued fighting after the UFC, which included a brief one-fight stint in BKFC where he faced veteran boxer and future bare-knuckle champion Austin Trout.