Former UFC middleweight Alessio de Chirico, who announced his retirement from mixed martial arts last year, has been arrested in Spain on charges of assaulting a 32-year-old taxi driver.
The accident occurred on Sunday evening. It is believed that the fighter and his family were in Spain on vacation.
De Chirico was, according to multiple reports, accompanied by his wife and two sons, returning to their hotel from a nearby restaurant, and was told by the alleged victim that he could not sit with them, as local laws prevented four parties from sitting in the back seat of a car.
Instead, the fighter got into the passenger seat and, upon arriving at his destination and paying for the flight, hit the driver on the right side of his face, resulting in “serious injuries,” according to a report by Port Diario de Ibiza, Spain (free Al Zolino).
The accident left the driver with a fractured cheekbone and injuries to his right eye that required surgery. He was taken to the hospital In Ibiza after the accident.
The allegations against De Chirico, 33, have not been proven in court. However, a report from Formentera News He indicated that the incident may have been captured by the hotel’s security cameras.
The official charges against de Chirico have not been announced.
Beginning his career with the UFC in 2016 after racking up a perfect 9-0 record in Italy and other parts of Europe, Alessio Di Chirico would go on to rack up a 4-7 record inside the Octagon. The Italian, nicknamed “Manzo”, retired in September after losing to Roman Kopylov at UFC Paris. It was his fifth loss in six fights.
De Chirico scored notable victories over “Cuban Missile Crisis” Julien Marquez and Joaquin Buckley, the latter a headbutt with a highlight reel KO.