UFC veteran Tim Means nearly found himself behind bars after one count of child abuse was filed against the 42-year-old earlier this year. However, now Means can breathe a sigh of relief since the charge against him has been dropped, as a primary witness in the case has failed to appear in court.

According to MMA Junkie and KRQE, the Bernalillo County (N.M.) District Attorney’s Office was compelled to drop the child abuse charge on Monday against Tim Means because the witness was a no-show in court. This ruling heavily favors Means because the charge is dismissed without prejudice via ‘nolle prosequi.’ 

It basically means the prosecution can refile the charge or reopen the case at a later date, suggesting Means is not completely out of danger either. However, the case has to remain within the statute of limitations for the prosecutors to try him again. Since Means was facing a third-degree felony, which can result in prison time, the statute of limitations can last up to five years.

While Means is now a free man, his arrest took place in April, 2026. Sources differ on the exact date of his arrest, but it happened somewhere between April 10 and April 22, after the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint of a physical altercation between two individuals. One of them was Tim Means, and the other was identified as his daughter.

When the cops reached Means’ Tijeras home at night, they spoke to his 17-year-old daughter, who claimed that she and Means were arguing over chores around the house when they got into each other’s faces, leading to an altercation between them.

While he refused the charge, the prosecutors went ahead with the case. However, since a key witness failed to show up in court, the prosecutors in New Mexico were forced to dismiss the case against Tim Means on Monday.

The case carries added weight given Means’ history with his daughter.

Tim Means previously fought a lengthy custody battle for his daughters

Long before the incident, Tim Means had to battle his ex-wife for custody of his two daughters. After a shooting incident in 2004, he became addicted to painkillers and harder substances. During this time, he was in and out of the county jail for several years.

In a 2016 interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal, he revealed that when he came home, his daughters were already gone. His ex-wife had supposedly taken two daughters to Oklahoma to live with her. He claimed that getting custody of his daughters was a bigger fight than any battle he had faced inside the cage. Means added that he initially only had temporary custody of one of his daughters.

But then she was taken away from him as well, and they stayed apart for seven years. This kickstarted a legal custody battle that lasted eight years. During this period, he meticulously followed the judge’s mandates to prove he could provide a stable, safe home, which ultimately led to him being awarded sole legal custody. He claimed to have worked his butt off to get full custody of his daughters. And that included serving his probation and getting his life together to strengthen his case in court. After winning custody in 2016, Means now risks losing it.

The heavyweight veteran, who has a record of 33-17-1, had been in the UFC for 12 years, but the last couple of years of his career saw him spiraling down hard. In his last six fights, Tim Means was 1-5, which appeared to have put him on the sidelines for good in 2024. Over his UFC career, the 42-year-old has fought some of the toughest names the promotion had to offer—Max Griffin, Kevin Holland, Mike Perry, and many more.

In September 2013, he briefly left the promotion as well, just to return in 2014. Today, Means hasn’t appeared in the cage since his loss to Court McGee in October 2024 at UFC 307.