Albuquerque mixed-martial arts legend Diego Sanchez will serve no prison time as a consequence of his arrest on gun-related charges last summer.

The 44-year-old was sentenced in 2nd Judicial District Court on Thursday to five years’ supervised probation and 800 hours of community service.

Sanchez initially pleaded not guilty to the felony gun charge but changed his plea to guilty on Feb. 18. As a convicted felon, Sanchez is prohibited from possessing a firearm for 10 years after serving his sentence.

A records search showed Sanchez had no prior convictions. A 2002 DWI charge and a 2023 charge of battery against a household member, both misdemeanors, were dismissed.

On July 17, according to a criminal complaint, police officers were attending to a crash on westbound Interstate 40 when they heard a loud bang coming from a passing vehicle.

Police pursued the vehicle, which exited the interstate at Sixth NW. Police pulled over a white Jeep Gladiator at Sixth and the westbound frontage road.

Sanchez, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was asked if he’d fired a shot, and he said no but acknowledged there was a gun in the vehicle. According to the complaint, two live rounds were found on the passenger-side floorboard and another under the passenger seat. A spent casing was found on the passenger-side floorboard.

Police asked the driver of the vehicle if Sanchez had fired a weapon. The driver said yes.

A black Glock 42 pistol was found in the rear pocket of the driver’s seat, police said.

Sanchez was arrested and charged with firing a weapon at or from motor vehicle (with no great bodily harm) and with negligent use of a deadly weapon. He was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center early on July 18 and released a week later.

Sanchez, an Albuquerque native and a former state high school wrestling champion, is widely considered one of MMA’s foundational fighters. The winner of his first 15 fights and 21 of his first 22, he became wildly popular for his aggressive, crowd-pleasing style.

Having lost 13 of his most recent 22 fights, dropping his overall record to 30-14, Sanchez last competed as an MMA fighter in March 2022. In February 2023, he lost a bare-knuckle fight to fellow New Mexican Austin Trout at Tingley Coliseum.

A proposed April 2025 boxing match was scratched when a card scheduled for the Pit fell through.