UFC veteran Diego Sanchez is now dealing with another major personal setback following his high-profile arrest in July 2025 on gun-related charges. According to TMZ, the former UFC title challenger and Hall of Famer has now finalized his divorce with his wife, Teresa Tapia.
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Tapia had filed for divorce on February 16th, 2026, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The couple had married in December 2024, but according to court filings, had been living separately since April 2025.
Both parties reportedly agreed to waive spousal support and claimed there was no shared property or debt to divide that could delay the agreement. Speaking exclusively to TMZ after the divorce was finalized, Teresa Tapia suggested the former UFC fighter’s personal struggles played a major role in the collapse of their marriage.
“Diego had moved out of our home 6 months prior to our divorce,” she said. “I was very patient and continued to try and help him through his problems. I felt I had no choice but to end the marriage. I wish Diego the best in life.
“I will always have love for him, and I will always continue to be a supporter of his. I hope one day he will realize who was actually there to help him. I will continue to love his daughter Deijah. I’m always a phone call away for her; she is such a blessing and deserves the world.”
When Tapia filed for divorce in February, Sanchez was awaiting sentencing on felony charges stemming from a July 17th, 2025, arrest.
Ex-UFC Star Diego Sanchez’s Wife Files For Divorce Weeks Before He Avoids Prison bit.ly/4tGVxmE
According to police, the 44-year-old was a passenger in a Jeep Gladiator on Interstate 40 in Albuquerque when he allegedly fired a handgun into the air from the moving vehicle while passing a car crash scene.
All about Diego Sanchez’s ‘Nightmare’ legal situation
Officers pulled the vehicle over and reportedly found a handgun and ammunition inside. Even though Diego Sanchez reportedly denied firing the gun, the driver apparently confessed to authorities that the former fighter had discharged the firearm and laughed afterward.
He was charged with negligent use of a deadly weapon and shooting at or from a motor vehicle. The ‘Nightmare’ was arrested and booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center around midnight.
Since he had no priors and it became clear that he wasn’t shooting at anyone, on July 22, just days after his arrest, Judge Cindy Leos approved his release until sentencing, on the condition that he would enter mental health and substance abuse treatment immediately.
While he was already suffering from bipolar disorder at the time, the UFC veteran later disclosed that his switch to a new medication contributed to the incident.
In February 2026, after being under treatment for his sobriety and mental health, the winner of the first season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree felony of shooting from a motor vehicle.
In March, more than five weeks after his wife filed for divorce, and despite prosecutors reportedly advocating for jail time, the Hall of Famer avoided a prison sentence. He was instead sentenced by the court to five years of supervised probation and 800 hours of community service.
The entire incident is another unpleasant chapter for one of the UFC’s most popular veterans. Diego Sanchez built a legendary career in MMA over nearly two decades, earning a 30-14 professional record and once challenging B.J. Penn for UFC lightweight gold in the UFC 107 main event in 2009.
His epic TUF 9 finale fight against Clay Guida back in 2009 was eventually inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and is still regarded by fight fans as one of the most thrilling bouts in the Dana White-led promotion’s history.
However, in recent years, Sanchez’s professional and personal life have often been overshadowed by controversy and troubling headlines. Between the criminal case and the collapse of his marriage, the former Ultimate Fighter winner appears to be facing one of the toughest periods of his life outside the cage.
