UFC featherweight Brandao arrested after incident at New Mexico strip club
Suspended UFC featherweight Diego Brandao was arrested last week and charged with aggravated battery and three counts of aggravated assault after an incident at an Albuquerque, N.M., strip club.
Brandao, who tested positive for marijuana following a loss to Brian Ortega in January, is accused of pointing a gun at a club employee after he was refused re-entry following a confrontation with the DJ.
Online records indicate the 28-year-old fighter left jail after posting a $15,000 bond. The story was first reported by the Albuquerque Journal.
“We are aware that UFC featherweight Diego Brandao was arrested Friday following an altercation at a business establishment in Albuquerque, N.M. We are in the process of gathering more information at this time,” a statement from the UFC read. “While we are concerned by the nature of the reported allegations, it is important to note that Brandao is entitled to due process in a court of law.
“We will have no further comment until more information can be gathered.”
Brandao is on the agenda for Tuesday’s Nevada Athletic Commission hearing to face discipline from the positive drug test. As of Monday afternoon, he is still expected to appear at the hearing according to sources close to the commission.
He is currently under a temporary suspension pending the hearing.
Brandao had won back-to-back fights after a 2014 loss to Conor McGregor before his most recent loss. He trains at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque alongside fellow UFC stars Jon Jones and Holly Holm, among others.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj
