Diego Sanchez, MMA legend, accused of negligently firing gun in Albuquerque

Albuquerque cage-fighting legend Diego Sanchez was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center early Friday after his arrest the previous evening — charged with shooting from a motor vehicle and negligent use of a deadly weapon.

According to an Albuquerque Police Department criminal complaint, officers had stopped at the scene of a traffic crash on westbound Interstate 40 near University NE. One of the officers heard “a loud bang,” and was told by police service aides on the scene that a shot had been fired by a passenger in a white Jeep Gladiator.

Officers followed the Jeep to the Sixth Street exit and pulled it over, according to the complaint. Officers had the front passenger — identified as Sanchez — get out of the vehicle. He was handcuffed, as was the driver, who was not charged.

Sanchez, advised of his rights, agreed to speak to detectives and denied he’d fired a weapon but admitted there was a firearm in the vehicle, police said. Two live rounds were found, one in front of the passenger seat and one under the passenger seat. A black handgun was found in the back pocket of the driver’s seat.

According to the complaint, the driver of the vehicle said Sanchez had fired a round. The driver told police he wasn’t expecting that to happen and didn’t know why Sanchez had done so.

After getting permission from the driver to search the vehicle, police removed the gun, described as a Glock 42, from the driver’s side back pocket. Police found a spent casing on the floor board of the passenger seat.

Prosecutors have filed a motion to detain Sanchez until trial, saying he presented a danger to the community if released.

“This totally unreasonable, and extremely dangerous behavior of the Defendant should make the court wary that he will comply with any conditions of release ordered by this court,” according to the motion.

Sanchez’s family declined to comment on the allegations.

Sanchez, 43, a 2000 New Mexico state wrestling champion at Del Norte High School, is a seminal figure in the history of cage fighting in New Mexico — arguably as responsible as any single fighter for putting Albuquerque’s Jackson-Wink MMA on the map as a major player in the sport.

His 2005 victory by first-round TKO over Kenny Florian in the UFC’s inaugural “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series kick-started a career that began with 20 consecutive victories and made Sanchez one of the sport’s most popular figures.

Typically, Sanchez’s fights were action-packed. His July 2019 split-decision victory over former Jackson-Wink fighter Clay Guida was awarded Hall of Fame status by the UFC.

While never having announced a retirement, Sanchez has not fought in the cage since March 2022. His MMA record stands at 30-14.

Sanchez’s long association with Jackson-Wink ended in 2019, when he chose to work instead with fitness guru Joshua Fabia. The following year, the UFC dropped Sanchez from its roster amid concerns about Fabia’s influence, as well as the fighter’s health.

Sanchez parted ways with Fabia in 2022.

In February 2023, Sanchez lost by fourth-round TKO (doctor’s stoppage due to facial cuts) to former world boxing champion Austin Trout of Las Cruces on a BKFC bare-knuckle fight card at Tingley Coliseum. He was scheduled to make his professional boxing debut in the Pit last April, but the entire card fell through.

Almost as well known for his eccentricities as for his talent in the cage, Sanchez was the subject of “Nightmare: UFC Legend Diego Sanchez,” a 2024 film produced by documentarian Charlie Minn.

“Nightmare” is Sanchez’s fight nickname, though at one point he’d changed it to “Dream” — only to change it back to “Nightmare.”

In interviews with Minn, a former Albuquerque sportscaster, Sanchez acknowledged he’d had a substance-abuse problem during his MMA career.

“He admitted that, and then he said he’s clean now,” Minn told the Journal in April 2024. “I’ll let the audience decide that part.”