A child abuse charge lodged against veteran UFC welterweight Tim Means has been dropped, after a witness failed to appear in court.
Means, 42, was arrested and charged with one count of abandonment or abuse of a child in Tijeras, NM on April 10, 2026, Cageside Press confirmed with the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court at the time. The charge came after the fighter’s 17-year old daughter called police to advise them of an altercation that saw Means allegedly headbutt her, punch her, and place her in a choke hold.
Per a report by MMA Fighting, that charge is gone at least for the time being, with prosecutors filing a “nolle prosequi,” meaning they no longer intend to pursue the charge. Albuquerque’s KRQE first reported the news.
The child abuse charge was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be be refiled at a later date. While not directly stated, it is believed that it is Means’ daughter who failed to appear.
In bodycam footage recently released, Means can be overheard accusing his daughter of assaulting him. “She hit me, like, ten straight times,” he tells police officers following his arrest. One of the arresting officers counters that he sees bruises on the girl.
Means (33-17-1, 1NC) has not fought since a submission loss to Court McGhee in 2024 at UFC 307. He’s 1-5 in his last six fights.