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Diego Sanchez released on pretrial conditions following gun charge
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Albuquerque cage-fighting legend Diego Sanchez was released from jail on Tuesday, some four days after he was arrested for allegedly firing a gun from a moving vehicle on westbound Interstate 40.
District Judge Cindy Leos denied the state's motion for pretrial detention, citing Sanchez's lack of previous criminal history. Sanchez was released to pretrial services, according to court records, with conditions to not possess a gun, drink alcohol or contact the witness in the case against him.
No trial date has been set.
According to a criminal complaint, Albuquerque police, having responded to a traffic crash on I-40 near University, heard "a loud bang." Police pursued and pulled over a white Jeep Gladiator, which had exited the interstate onto Sixth Street.
Sanchez, 43, who'd been sitting in the front passenger seat, denied he'd fired a shot, but the driver of the vehicle said Sanchez had done so.
A Glock 42 pistol, two live rounds and a spent casing, were found in the vehicle.
Sanchez was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center early Friday morning.
Sanchez, a former Del Norte High School state wrestling champion, burst onto the national MMA scene with his victory in the finale of the UFC's inaugural "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show in 2005.
He went on to become one of the sport's most popular fighters but has not fought in the cage since March 2022.
In February 2023, he lost by fourth-round TKO to former world champion boxer Austin Trout of Las Cruces in a BKFC bare-knuckle fight at Tingley Coliseum.
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He has a 30-14 MMA record.
