Sanchez, 44, a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, has been sentenced to five years of probation after firing a gun on an Albuquerque freeway while riding in the passenger seat of a jeep. The incident occurred in July 2025.

Sanchez had been facing one felony count – shooting at or from a vehicle, as well as a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon. He reached a plea deal with prosecutors in February.

KOB 4 was first to report news of Sanchez’s sentence, which came as prosecutors requested a two-year prison sentence, despite the plea deal. Ultimately, the judge opted for probation, though Sanchez could still wind up jailed should he violate the conditions of his probationary period.

“People do make mistakes, and this is Albuquerque, the wild wild west. I made a bad mistake,” Sanchez said in a statement issues alongside his lawyer in front of an Albuquerque, NM courthouse on Thursday. “All I can do is take accountability, own it, you know, and spread positivity to the youth of the next generation to change these ways. Not to be shooting out windows like cowboys.”

During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Sanchez and his team noted that he had been undergoing treatment for mental health and substance abuse issues, and had been on new medication to treat bi-polar disorder at the time of the incident.

Sanchez (30-14) exited the UFC in 2020 off a loss to Jake Matthews. He took one more fight, in 2022, against Kevin Lee under the Eagle FC banner, losing a decision.

The former UFC lightweight title challenger’s career came to a bizarre end in part thanks to an association with Joshua Fabia, a self-styled “Self-Awareness Guru” who turned up in the fighter’s corner offering bizarre advice. Sanchez later revealed a predatory relationship in which he described being a “slave” to Fabia.

The post Diego Sanchez Gets Five Years Probation for Gun Incident appeared first on Cageside Press.

With that said, Sanchez is still looking at possible prison time.

As previously reported by Cageside Press and other outlets, Sanchez was arrested in Albuquerque, New Mexico in July 2025 after being seen firing a gun from the passenger seat of a moving vehicle.

At the time, Sanchez was slapped with one felony count – shooting at or from a vehicle, as well as a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

Sanchez later told police that while there was a gun present in the vehicle, no shots had been fired.

Per a new report by MMA Fighting, Sanchez has now agreed to plead guilty to a charge of shooting at or from a motor vehicle (no great bodily harm), which constitutes a fourth degree felony.

Due to the circumstances surrounding an incident, Sanchez is looking at up to six and a half years in prison. Prosecutors, however, are asking for no more than two years, with any remainder to be served on probation.

A judge will sentence Diego Sanchez on April 6.

After winning the inaugural Ultimate Fighter at middleweight, Sanchez would return to welterweight, then drop down to 155lbs and go on to fight for the UFC’s lightweight championship in 2009. He also became a mainstay of the UFC roster for some 15 years.

The end of his career, however, was marred by erratic behavior, including an association with Joshua Fabia, a so-called “self-awareness guru” that Sanchez would later say he became a slave to. That association was chronicled by an episode of the Vice TV series Dark Side of the Cage.

Sanchez was released by the UFC in 2021.

At the time of his arrest last year, a representative for Sanchez said he was struggling with substance abuse issues.

The post Original TUF Winner Diego Sanchez Reaches Plea Deal on Gun Charges appeared first on Cageside Press.

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.

The post Diego Sanchez Arrested in ABQ After Firing Shots Out Of Vehicle appeared first on Cageside Press.

With a light heavyweight title fight and names like Diego Sanchez, John Dodson, and Greg Hardy in tow, the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based card promised plenty of action. Of course, the main event featuring light heavyweight champ Lorenzo Hunt looking to defend his belt against Mike Richman was the crown jewel of the evening. Hunt was on a tremendous seven-fight win streak in bare-knuckle, with victories over Hector Lombard and Joe Riggs in that stretch.

Richman had won his last five, discounting a 2019 no contest.

Diego Sanchez, a New Mexican legend, and Greg Hardy were making their bare-knuckle boxing debuts. John Dodson, most recently seen in the RIZIN ring, was back for his sophomore outing in BKFC.

The BKFC: KnuckleMania 3 prelims will air live and free at 8 PM ET/ 5 PM PT on the BKFC website or app. The main card kicks off at 9 PM ET/ 6 PM PT for BKFC subscribers. The event is also available as a PPV via Fite.tv.

BKFC: KnuckleMania 3 Results

Main Card (9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT)

Lorenzo Hunt (c) def. Mike Richman by KO, Round 1, 1:50 — for the BKFC light heavyweight championship
Austin Trout def. Diego Sanchez by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 4, 1:44
John Dodson def. Jarod Grant by KO, Round 1, 1:41
Josh Watson def. Greg Hardy by KO, Round 2, 0:19
Jayme Hinshaw def. Charisa Sigala by KO, Round 1, 0:38
Will Santiago def. Noah Cutter by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 1, 2:00
Gaston Reyno def. Daniel Vansickle by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 1, 1:26
Joshua Moreno def. Christian Torres by TKO, Round 2, 1:02
Kevin Croom def. Chevvy Bridges by KO, Round 1, 1:11

Preliminary Card (8 PM ET/ 5 PM PT)

Eric Dodson def. Gene Perez by KO, Round 1, 1:32
Nick Gonzales def. Sito Navarro by KO, Round 1, 0:41
Derek Perez def. Anthony Sanchez by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 50-44)

The post BKFC: KnuckleMania 3 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

BKFC announced the bout on Tuesday, revealing the match-up on social media.

🔥KnuckleMania 3 Announcement🔥 New Mexico’s very own, Diego Sanchez will face Austin Trout at #KM3 on Fri. Feb 17th! pic.twitter.com/WApwJ8pBNF

— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) January 10, 2023

The UFC veteran had previously considered an offer from BKFC before choosing Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC instead. He dropped a decision vs. Kevin Lee at EFC 46 in March of last year.

“The Nightmare” (who has at times also been known as “The Dream”) has not competed since. Sanchez was in the news frequently towards the end of his UFC run, thanks in part due to his association, and later falling out with coach Joshua Fabia, who ran something known as “The School of Self-Awareness.”

Sanchez now faces boxing champion Trout who, in his time in the ring, faced guys like the Charlo brothers, Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez.

The Knuckle Mania 3 main event is also set as Lorenzo Hunt takes on Mike Richman. The card is set to take place at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Feb. 17.

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Dan Hardy’s Boxing Debut Against Diego Sanchez Dropped from Card

Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy will not be returning to combat sports after all. At least, not as planned, and possibly not ever.

Hardy recently revealed that the fight had been dropped from Saturday’s Ricky Hatton vs. Marco Antonio Barrera card, which aired on Sky Sports in the UK. In fact, it was the move to Sky Sports which Hardy believes caused the fight to be cancelled.

“So, basically the card was picked up by Sky Sports,” Hardy told Submission Radio recently (h/t MMA Mania). “And they decided that they wanted the Hatton vs. Barrera [undercard] fights off the card and to add all the rest of their own fights to it. Cause obviously they got a deal with Boxer and they’ve got loads of fighters signed to their management team.

“So yeah, they basically just took the Hatton vs. Barrera fight and they canceled the rest of the fights,” he continued. “I’ve had a bit of a chat with Diego about it. Of course, he was disappointed as well, but you know, it’s the fight game. It’s chaotic at the moment, and with new promoters getting into the businesses, I think sometimes they buy themselves a bit more than they can chew, and I think that’s what happened. I hope it goes really well. But, aside from following Ricky Hatton’s Instagram, I’m not really hearing anything about it.”

A former UFC welterweight title challenger, Hardy last competed in 2012, when he defeated Amir Sadollah via decision that September. He has not competed in any form of combat sports since. Having been diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome, Hardy was eventually cleared to return to competition in 2018. Instead, he focused on a broadcast career, but had a falling out with the UFC last year following an argument with a female UFC employee.

The fallout from that dispute saw Hardy released from his fight contract with the promotion — which opened the door to other promotions, including the planned boxing gig. It seems, however, that Hardy may simply walk away from actively competing for good.

“My Mum said it kind of feels like the universe is kind of telling you something here — maybe it is,” he said. “Maybe I’m just clinging onto something. But to be honest, I’m still feeling great, I still feel in good condition, my mind’s sharp, and there are a couple of options for the new year. Yeah, there’s a couple of options, couple of people’s names I’ve got in mind.”

Power Slap launch officially announced, White says he’s been working on sport since 2017

There’s no question that Dana White made a smart decision when he convinced the Fertitta brothers to scoop up the then-struggling UFC in 2001, for a cool $2 million USD. Another smart decision came in 2005 with the launch of The Ultimate Fighter, saving the promotion when it was on the brink of bankruptcy. The UFC is now a $4 billion dollar enterprise and the leading promotion in MMA. White deserves a lot of the credit.

Being honest, Power Slap is unlikely to yield similar results. Dana White has got behind the sport of “slap fighting,” in which participants wind up and slap one another in the fact, undefended.

It’s dumb. It’s a concussion waiting to happen. It’s somehow been regulated, however, and this past week, the UFC announced that Power Slap would run an eight-episode series of events on TBS starting in early 2023.

“I’m very excited for the launch of Power Slap,” Dana White was quoted as saying in a press release this past Friday. “I’ve been working on this since 2017. I saw some footage of slap fighting on social media and I was instantly hooked.  From the first day I saw it, I felt like this could be big. I knew what needed to be done to make it a real sport just like we did with MMA. We got it sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) with defined rules, rankings and weight classes. Power Slap is built for the modern sports fan.”

Sean O’Malley Gets Penile Stem Cell Injection

Welcome to sentences we never wanted to write. Sean O’Malley has always been a little off-beat, but getting stem cells injected into your penis (supposedly to increase girth) just sounds like a bad idea. A really, really bad idea, as any needle to the member should sound.

If you dare, watch the video below for more details.

Slick Submission Alert

KSW 76 on Saturday saw the first-ever Peruvian Necktie submission in the promotion, and it’s definitely worth checking out!

PERUVIAN NECKTIE!!! #KSW76

🇳🇬🇮🇪 Henry Fadipe makes KSW history!! First ever Peruvian necktie submission ever in KSW!! pic.twitter.com/JkWN15BthL

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) November 12, 2022

And a Killer Head Kick

The fun at KSW 76 didn’t stop there, as Artur Szczepaniak finished off Brian Hooi care of a head kick.

HEADKICK KNOCKOUT!! 💥 #KSW76

🇵🇱🇧🇪 @KingArturMMA KO's Brian Hooi! pic.twitter.com/5gEMD7N6xl

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) November 12, 2022

Mike Trizano was barred from wearing American flag cowboy hat at UFC 281 weigh-ins… on Veteran’s Day

File this under good intent gone awry… the UFC banned fighters from carrying flags after Russia invaded Ukraine. That was no doubt to avoid some hurt feelings, as a large number of Russians are under contract to the UFC, and a smaller number of Ukrainian fighters as well.

Out of sight, out of mind, right? A large number of people prefer their sports, and MMA, without a side of politics anyway.

Banning an American flag hat on Veteran’s Day, however, was an unintended side effect that swept up UFC 281 winner Mike Trinzano on weigh-in day. The TUF 27 winner has worn the hat before, but this time out — on a day to remember American troops, of all things — it was a no-go.

Mike Trizano calls it "a little ridiculous" that he was stopped from walking out with his American flag cowboy hat on Veterans Day.

Full #UFC281 post-fight scrum ▶️ https://t.co/SmW5KSMBHW pic.twitter.com/tfad512jph

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) November 13, 2022

Valerie Loureda comments on in-ring debut for WWE

It’s been a year since what appears to have been her final Bellator MMA fight, and on Saturday, Valerie Loureda made her debut for WWE. After the match, she posted an emotional video celebrating the start of her new journey.

“I love what I do, and I was born to do it,” Loureda states in the clip.

Valerie Loureda & her gear 🤩@valerielouredaa pic.twitter.com/BxDgJEUt7W

— Sonya Bayley 🐑🌈 (@SDevilleLive) November 13, 2022

Moicano Wants Money!

In what may have been the GOAT of post-fight interviews, Renato Moicano referred to himself in third person at UFC 281, dropped more F-bombs than a George Carlin routine, kept the ESPN censors busy, and made sure to tell Joe Rogan that he wants money.

Here’s just part of it:

https://twitter.com/JustTheFights/status/1591624418568343552

The post Sunday MMA Quick Hits: Sean O’Malley Did What? Plus Killer Finishes at KSW 76 appeared first on Cageside Press.

The answer was given in short order, emphatically, by reigning Eagle FC champ Rizvan Kuniev. A spinning back kick and a flying knee were all thrown by the Russian heavyweight in under a minute, and it wasn’t long before challenger Anthony Hamilton, a UFC veteran, folded under the pressure.

Despite the flashy stuff, it was the clinch work that might have been the difference maker for Kuniev. After landing several knees in the clinch, he trapped the neck of his opponent, locking in the standing guillotine. Hamilton had no choice but to tap, the end coming 1:17 into the first round.

The main event at Eagle FC 46 saw the return of original Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez, facing fellow UFC veteran Kevin Lee in a super lightweight match-up. The 165lb weight class felt tailor made for Lee, but it was a calf kick by Sanchez that set the tone early. It seemed to have hampered Lee’s left leg, but Sanchez stayed cautious, covering up and circling out of range of Lee’s power.

Off a clean connection near the midway mark, Lee then went looking for a takedown. Despite a blatant fence grab by Sanchez, Lee would land the attempt, and very quickly moved to mount, with Sanchez trapped against the cage. Lee then took the back, getting one hook in, with just over a minute in the round. Lee would look for a choke, and even hook a leg, but Sanchez showed considerable flexibility and escaped, though he was under fire on the feet to end the round.

Sanchez went back to the calf kick early in round two. Lee walked him down, but Sanchez landed to the leg again. Lee would continue moving forward, landing with a fair amount of power, but Sanchez weathered the shots and went back to the lead leg, forcing Lee to switch stances.

On a takedown attempt, Lee ate a knee, but would finish the attempt with two minutes remaining in the round. Sanchez locked his hands, perhaps looking for a stand-up, then moved to an arm-bar, but Lee was hip to it. Lee would begin to drop elbows, but Sanchez survived the round.

https://twitter.com/EagleFightClub/status/1502496311349846016

Round three had the action paused early for a stray mouthpiece, after Sanchez lost his. Back underway, Lee was walking “The Nightmare” down again while still favoring his left leg. Sanchez landed a kick to the body, but for the most part, he was out-struck on the feet, circling and retreating as Lee brought the fight to him. With just over two minutes left in the round, Sanchez would land a couple of shots in a combo, and later add another left hand. A leg kick wobbled Lee, and suddenly, he was the one retreating. But a Lee counter would drop Sanchez, and Lee got on top!

While he had the upper hand, however, Kevin Lee couldn’t find the finish. He’d begin dropping some frantic ground n’ pound as the clock wore down, but they’d wind up going to the scorecards — with Lee winning a unanimous decision.

After the dust had settled, Sanchez stated that he wanted to fight out his Eagle FC contract— which has two more fights on it. Lee, meanwhile, said he believed he’d blown his ACL, or “something major.”

“The very first strike that he threw tore my knee,” Lee confirmed. That said, he’s hoping for a title fight in his return, in a weight class he appears perfectly suited for.

The post Eagle FC 46: Kuniev Wastes No Time Defending Heavyweight Title, Lee Guts Out Win With Compromised Leg appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Eagle FC 46 card was topped by a super lightweight fight — and no, you didn’t read that wrong. Breaking from tradition, Eagle FC had pulled the trigger on a 165lb division, with Kevin Lee and Diego Sanchez, a pair of UFC veterans, throwing down.

Lee and Sanchez had both parted ways with their former promotion last year. For Lee, he was looking to snap a two-fight skid, after dropping fights to Charles Oliveira and Daniel Rodriguez. Sanchez, meanwhile, had won three of his last five, but the Ultimate Fighter 1 winner was coming off a decision loss to Jake Matthews.

In the co-main event, a heavyweight title fight found champ Rizvan Kuniev defending his title against former UFC fighter Anthony Hamilton.

Full results from Eagle FC 46, which takes place at the FLXcast Arena in Miami, Florida on Friday, March 12, 2022 can be found below. The event streams live on the FLXcast App.

Eagle FC 46: Lee vs. Sanchez Results

Main Card

Kevin Lee def. Diego Sanchez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Rizvan Kuniev (c) def. Anthony Hamilton by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 1:17- for the Eagle FC heavyweight championship
Ray Borg def. Ricky Bandejas by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Handesson Ferreira def. Zach Juusola by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Raimond Magomedaliev def. Impa Kasanganay by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Preliminary Card

Darrell Horcher vs. Akhmed Aliev — bout announced as cancelled
Ikram Aliskerov def. Nah-Shon Burrell by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Irwin Rivera def. Firdavs Khasanov by TKO (strikes), Round 2, 4:48
Archie Colgan def. Dylan Mantello by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ronny Markes vs. Reggie Pena — bout announced as cancelled
Tyler Ray def. Thomas Webb by unanimous decision (30-27,30-26,30-26)
Sitik Muduev def. Caio Uruguai by unanimous decision (30-27 30-27, 30-27)
Ryder Newman def. Emmanuel Walo by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

The post Eagle FC 46: Lee vs. Sanchez Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

The 39-year old UFC legend and Hall of Fame member (in the Fight Wing, for his bout with Clay Guida) previously revealed he had been battling the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. While things were initially looking up, in a new post to social media, Sanchez revealed that he was dealing with low oxygen levels and pneumonia as a result of the virus.

Sanchez also revealed that blood clots had been found in both of his legs.

“Low oxygen numbers and a pneumonia. This has been some tying times,” Sanchez wrote, adding “didn’t even get a saltine cracker today.”

Blood clots in both my legs

— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) November 26, 2021

The longtime veteran exited the UFC back in April, after pulling out of a fight with Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Sanchez had been heavily criticized after working with coach Joshua Fabia, who runs something known as the “School of Self-Awareness” — which many observers saw as a con. Fabia had apparently requested Sanchez’s medical records from the UFC, potentially a contributing factor in his release; coach and fighter later went through a very public split of their own.

Sanchez has not fought since September of 2020, where he was defeated by Jake Matthews via unanimous decision at UFC 253. In his last five fights, Sanchez posted a 3-2 record, and had been eying a bout under the BKFC banner prior to contracting COVID-19.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWuZzeyt6Uh/

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So strap in, this is a bit of a weird one.

Diego Sanchez’s UFC tenure came to a close earlier this year following a fallout with the promotion, due in large part to issues with Sanchez’s trainer Joshua Fabia. Fabia battled with UFC officials over Sanchez’s medical records, how he was treated, and many inside and outside of Sanchez’s inner circle thought he was being taken advantage of by the trainer and founder of the School of Self Awareness.

Eventually, the UFC had enough of Fabia and Sanchez, releasing the Hall of Famer in April 2021. Sanchez parted ways with Fabia soon thereafter and began focusing on the next steps in his fighting career. A home soon emerged in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, with Sanchez attending a few of their events, and in July BKFC President David Feldman suggested that Sanchez was likely to sign with the promotion.

BKFC is known for having multiple UFC legends and former greats on their roster, but recently they’ve been experimenting with celebrities fighting under their banner as well. Rapper Blueface faced TikToker Kane Trujilo at BKFC 19 in just one example. However, the promotion may soon be matching up the influencers and the legends in the ring.

According to the man himself, Kyle ‘FPSRussia” Meyers, BKFC offered him a contract to fight “The Nightmare” on a PPV in the near future. On the “Painkiller Already” podcast which Russia hosts, he laughed off the idea— however he would retract that statement the following week, saying he would do the fight for a certain figure.

It seems that figure may have been reached, as Russia said on the preshow of “Painkiller Nearly” 367 that he is going to begin trolling Diego in the coming weeks to hype a potential bout with the former UFC fighter, and encouraged his fans to do the same.  Sanchez responded on Twitter to talk of the fight, saying that he was there for it, and called Russia “steroid guy.”

Cageside Press reached out to Sanchez for comment, and “The Nightmare” responded that he hasn’t received any official bout offer yet. But, he added, BKFC was going through their options and due to FPSRussia’s following, he would be down for a potential fight.

Will the fight happen? Who knows, however even if it doesn’t, it is still one of the strangest pieces of fight news to break in quite a while.

The post Could Diego Sanchez, YouTuber “FPSRussia” Fight for BKFC? “Nightmare” Open to It appeared first on Cageside Press.