Ex-UFC fighter Diego Sanchez was arrested early Friday morning and is currently in custody following two gun charges. TMZ Sports first reported the news.
Sanchez has been at the forefront of controversy following his MMA career, notably involving allegations of extortion against his former coach, Joshua Fabia.
This time, Sanchez finds himself in serious legal trouble after firing a gunshot from a car. The 43-year-old was booked at 12:01 AM Friday and faces one felony count – shooting at or from a vehicle. Sanchez was also hit with a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.
According to the report, Sanchez leaned out of a passing vehicle and fired into the air while passing an accident. Officers followed and arrested Sanchez, who admitted to a gun in the vehicle, but said no shots were fired.
The driver of the vehicle disputed these claims, stating that Sanchez was the one who fired the shots. The driver is facing no disciplinary action following the incident.
MMA Fighting has since received a statement from Ricky Kottenstette, a representative of Sanchez, who explained that the fighter has been dealing with substance abuse issues in recent years. Despite previous rehabilitation attempts, the hope following this arrest is that Sanchez can receive treatment and get the necessary help.
Sanchez, a former title challenger in the UFC lightweight division, racked up eight post-fight bonuses in his 32-fight tenure. After fighting some of the best in the sport across multiple generations, Sanchez continued in BKFC following his MMA career.
As one of the inspirations for many fighters growing up, the team at Cageside Press and the MMA community hope that Diego Sanchez can fight through this.
