COMBAT SPORTS
MMA legend Diego Sanchez arrested on aggravated drunken driving charge
The charge could violate his probation from a 2025 gun-related case
Albuquerque mixed martial arts fighter Diego Sanchez was arrested Monday in Socorro on charge of aggravated driving while intoxicated, which would constitute a violation of the MMA legend鈥檚 probation stemming from a gun-related incident in July 2025.
Sanchez, 44, was being held without bond on Tuesday at the Socorro County Detention Center.
According to an incident report, police were called to a convenience store at 1105 North California Street in Socorro in response to a complaint that a person was loudly pounding on a restroom door and wall.
As police arrived, they encountered a man and a woman leaving the store. According to the report, the man, later identified as Sanchez, appeared intoxicated.
An officer began to conduct a sobriety test, but 鈥渕ade the decision to stop the field sobriety test for the safety of the suspect.鈥�
Sanchez was arrested and taken to a police station, while the 2019 BMW he and his female companion had arrived in at the store was released to the woman.
At the police station, Sanchez tested at 0.17% and 0.18% for blood-alcohol level, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08%.
Sanchez was processed and booked into the SCDC, according to the report, and his probation officer was advised of the possible violation. An arrest warrant was issued.
On July 17, 2025, according to police, Sanchez was arrested in Albuquerque on charges of having fired a gun from a vehicle on westbound Interstate 40. He initially pleaded not guilty, but on Feb. 18, he changed his plea to guilty.
On March 26, Sanchez was sentenced in 2nd Judicial District Court to five years鈥� supervised probation and 800 hours of community service. He is prohibited from possessing a firearm for 10 years after the completion of his sentence.
Sanchez, a former state wrestling champion at Del Norte High School, has long been considered a foundational figure in the development of MMA as a sport. His victory in 2005 over Kenny Florian in the finale of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's inaugural 鈥淭he Ultimate Fighter鈥� reality series elevated him, as well as Albuquerque鈥檚 Jackson-Wink MMA Academy, in the eyes of the industry.
His aggressive fighting style, coupled with his eccentric public persona, made him one of the UFC鈥橲 most popular fighters.
After winning 22 of his first 23 professional fights, Sanchez has lost 13 of his last 21.
Released by the UFC in 2021 at age 39, Sanchez鈥檚 most recent appearance in combat sports was a loss by fourth-round TKO (doctor鈥檚 stoppage due to a cut) to Las Cruces鈥� Austin Trout in a bare-knuckle fight at Tingley Coliseum on Feb. 17, 2023.
