Ex-UFC Fighter Arrested in Vegas for Pulling Gun on Own Family

Posted on: December 13, 2024, 07:26h. 

Last updated on: December 13, 2024, 07:26h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Las Vegas Myths.

Ex-MMA fighter Vinny Magalhaes was arrested in Las Vegas last Saturday, TMZ Sports reported on Friday. According to his arrest report, witnesses alleged that the former UFC light heavyweight threatened three members of his own family with a gun.

Vinny Magalhaes. (Image: Cooper Neill/PFL)

No shots were fired and no injuries were reported.

Magalhaes, 40, was arrested on three counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon and remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center.

According to xtremekickboxing.com, Magalhaes appeared in court on Tuesday for his initial hearing, and is not due back until December 23.

Should he be convicted of all three charges, Magalhaes faces a maximum sentence of 18 years.

At the height of his fame in 2008, Magalhaes, nicknamed “Pezão,” made it to the finals in the eighth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” UFC’s realty TV series-slash-MMA competition. He was knocked out in the first round of his match against Ryan Bader, who claimed the light heavyweight title.

Magalhaes’ final UFC match — another knockout loss, to Anthony Perosh — took place in 2013. Overall in MMA, Magalhaes had a 19-12 record.

He last fought in December 2021 under the PFL (Professional Fighters League) banner — ending in a no-contest after his opponent hit him with an accidental groin shot.

Magalhaes is due back in court later this month, and has yet to address the incident on social media.