UFC featherweight Diego Brandao was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and battery Friday, police said, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
According to the report, Brandao, 28, is accused of striking a strip club employee in the face with the butt of a handgun in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Online detention center records confirmed Brandao had been in custody and was released Saturday.
Police told the Albuquerque Journal that Brandao got into an argument with a DJ at a downtown strip club. After briefly leaving the club, Brandao became confrontational when employees refused to readmit him, according to police.
Police said Brandao left a second time and returned with a handgun. He pointed the gun at a patron and hit an employee with it, according to police.
A UFC fighter since 2011, Brandao is from Brazil but trains out of Jackson-Wink MMA in New Mexico. He is a former winner of The Ultimate Fighter reality TV series. His most recent fight took place at UFC 195 in January, when he suffered a submission loss to Brian Ortega. He has fought several notable opponents, including the current featherweight champion, Conor McGregor.
The UFC has not yet offered an official statement on Brandao's situation.
