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Diego Sanchez Sentenced to Five Years Probation in Albuquerque Gun Case After Plea Deal Avoids Prison

The UFC Hall of Famer pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree felony tied to his July arrest, while a second charge was dismissed under the agreement.

Written by Jake Blend

Last updated on March 27th, 2026

Diego Sanchez has now been sentenced in the Albuquerque gun case tied to his July arrest, and the ruling gives him supervision instead of prison. The UFC Hall of Famer received five years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to shooting at or from a motor vehicle with no great bodily harm, a fourth-degree felony. The case has been tracked since the initial booking in earlier report on the felony gun charges.

This sentencing update and courtroom details were reported by KOB 4 in Albuquerque.

According to the court summary, Sanchez was accused of leaning out of a passenger-side window and firing a shot into the air while passing a crash scene. Police followed the vehicle and made an arrest. Sanchez denied firing at the time, but told officers there was a gun inside the vehicle. He later pleaded guilty in February, which set up Thursday’s sentencing hearing.

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What the court decided and what Sanchez said after sentencing

A second charge for negligent use of a deadly weapon was initially filed, then dismissed through the plea agreement. Prosecutors reportedly pushed for a two-year prison sentence because of Sanchez’s “reckless actions when he shot the firearm out of the car window.” The judge instead imposed five years of supervised probation, which keeps Sanchez under court oversight without immediate incarceration.

Outside court, Sanchez gave a direct statement and said:

“All I can do is take accountability, own it, and spread positivity for the youth of the next generation to change these ways, man. Not to be shooting out windows like cowboys.” He also said he has been in treatment and on new medications tied to a bipolar diagnosis.

The legal ruling closes the sentencing phase, but it does not erase how turbulent his post-UFC stretch has been. Sanchez’s recent combat run included the BKFC loss to Austin Trout covered in KnuckleMania recap, and the arrest aftermath was further documented in the body-cam follow-up report.