Newly Retired UFC Fighter Arrested After Allegedly Assaulting Taxi Driver

The former UFC middleweight apparently punched a taxi driver while on vacation with his family.

Drew Beaupré | May 23, 2023

Newly Retired UFC Fighter Arrested After Allegedly Assaulting Taxi Driver /

Former UFC fighter Alessio Di Chirico was reportedly arrested in Spain following a violent dispute with a taxi driver.

According to the report from Italian news outlet Diario de Ibiza, Di Chirico was on vacation with his wife and two children on the Spanish island of Es Pujols on Monday, May 23.

The family reportedly got into a taxi after dinner and were informed that one of them would have to sit in the front seat due to safety regulations, which resulted in the former UFC fighter voicing his displeasure to the driver while they rode back to their hotel.

Upon arrival at the hotel, Di Chirico allegedly paid the driver before suddenly punching him in the face without warning. The interaction was reportedly captured by the hotel's security cameras but footage was not released to the public, and the taxi driver was immediately taken to a local hospital while Di Chirico was arrested.

Di Chirico spent six years fighting in the UFC. (Per Haljestam/USA TODAY Sports)

The 33-year-old has reportedly already been released from police custody, but the news is still an alarming turn for a fighter that was competing in the UFC as recently as last year. Di Chirico joined the promotion in 2016 after compiling a 9-0 record, and after dropping his promotional debut the Italian went 3-1 over his next four bouts.

"Manzo" struggled for consistency after a decent start to his run in the UFC, and the lone victory over his last six fights with the promotion was a first-round head kick against Joaquin Buckley. Following a third-round knockout loss to Roman Kopylov last September, the 33-year-old announced his retirement from MMA.

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Published May 23, 2023