Former UFC fan favorite Diego Sanchez facing gun charges

Former UFC fan favorite Diego Sanchez was arrested on Thursday for allegedly firing a gun out of the passenger window of a moving vehicle in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

According to online records, Sanchez, 43, was arrested on charges of shooting at or from a motor vehicle (on great bodily harm) and negligent use of a deadly weapon. His bail has not been set.

The arrest was first reported by KRQE News in Albuquerque. According to the report, police say the shot came from a Jeep Gladiator as it passed a traffic accident. Sanchez was arrested, although reportedly denied firing the weapon. The driver of the vehicle was not arrested in connection to the incident.

Sanchez was released by the UFC in 2020 following a string of poor performances and a public spat between him and his then-manager and the UFC. He competed in bare-knuckle boxing in 2023 and was scheduled to do so again at an event earlier this year until it was canceled. He rose to fame with the UFC following his appearance on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter in 2004.