Longtime UFC veteran Tim “The Dirty Bird” Means has found himself charged with child abuse following an alleged altercation with his 17-year old daughter.
Means, 42, who last competed in a loss against Court McGee in 2024 and currently serves as a high school wrestling coach, has been charged in Tijeras, NM, with one count of abandonment or abuse of a child, Cageside Press confirmed with the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court on Friday.
News of Means’ arrest, which occurred on Wednesday, was reported by several local media outlets including The Albuquerque Journal.
Per those reports, Means’ daughter called police after an argument broke out over household chores on Wednesday, at which point she alleged Means headbutted her. She further alleged, per the report by the Journal, that Means placed her in a choke hold (or held her against a counter in a “strangulating manner”). He later is alleged to have thrown a potato at his daughter.
When she attempted to push past the welterweight and leave, he’s also alleged to have punched her.
Per the complaint against Means, police noted that “there were visible hand and red marks on [the teen’s] neck, indicating she was strangled,” while there “was blood on and in her nose where she was head-butted and several red marks indicated she was hit in the face and on her cheek.”
Means made his first appearance before Judge Christine E. Rodriguez on Friday, April 25.
A former King of the Cage champ at lightweight and welterweight, Tim Means joined the UFC in 2012 and became a consistent fan favourite with fights against Matt Brown, Belal Muhammad, Thiago Alves, Kevin Holland, Daniel Rodriguez and others. His 26 fights in the UFC’s welterweight division place him third all-time.