Former UFC Fighter Diego Sanchez Sentenced For Felony Shooting

Former UFC fighter Diego Sanchez was sentenced to five years of supervised probation after firing a gun into the air while in traffic. 

Albuqerque news outlet "KOB4" reported that Sanchez had pleaded guilty in February to a felony charge after his July 2025 arrest near I-40, where prosecutors said he had fired the gun while passing a crash. 

In court, Sanchez contested that he had never intended to hurt anyone and it was supposed to be a joke. He added that he was already going to Turning Point Recovery Center and taking new medicine for a bipolar diagnosis. 

"People do make mistakes, you know. This is Albuquerque, the wild wild west, I made a bad mistake," Sanchez is quoted in the report. 

Prosecutors were said to have been pushing for two years custodial with the argument that firing a gun in traffic on a freeway was dangerous. 

"The defendant has shown reckless actions when he shot the firearm out of the car window. He has demonstrated negligence as noted in the PSR and the inability to safely and lawfully operate a firearm," state prosecutor Genia Gonzales is quoted. 

Defense attorney Max Pines is said to have told the court that his client had made progress over the last several months, including treatment for mental health and substance abuse. Sanchez also said that he is staying sober and working on his mental health.

Sanchez has a 30-14 record in MMA having won the first-ever season of "The Ultimate Fighter" to earn a contract with UFC. He spent 15 years in the promotion before departing in 2020, fighting just the once since for Khabib Nurmagomedov's Eagle FC in 2022. He is also a UFC Hall of Famer through his 2009 fight with Clay Guida, getting inducted in 2019.