Former UFC fighter Diego Sanchez has received five years of probation over a gun charge from last year.
Last summer, the Ultimate Fighter winner was arrested after he was accused of firing a gun from a vehicle as he passed by a car crash in a traffic jam.
KOB 4 in Albuquerque reports that Sanchez pleaded guilty earlier this year to the felony charge and told the court that it was “supposed to be a joke”. He said he was already attending a recovery center and on new medication for bipolar disorder when the incident occurred.
He was facing over six years in prison, but will avoid incarceration in favor of the supervised probationary term. Prosecutors had been seeking two years in prison before the judge’s ruling.
He said he is working on his mental health and staying sober to address his issues.
The 44-year-old was a winner on the inaugural season of the Ultimate Fighter in 2005 and fought for the organization for fifteen years, including challenging BJ Penn for the lightweight title in December 2009. He last fought in a BKFC fight, losing to Austin Trout in February 2023.
