UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich -- the promotion's first-ever welterweight champion -- was arrested for allegedly driving drunk in Iowa Thursday morning ... after a witness said they saw the MMA legend driving his truck the wrong way down a one-way street.
Authorities in Bettendorf, Iowa received a call early Thursday morning for a man allegedly driving against the flow of traffic on a one-way street, before crossing an embankment and parking at a nearby gas station.
Once on the scene, police say they found 57-year-old Miletich asleep behind the wheel ... with the truck still in gear.
Cops woke him up, and Miletich admitted to drinking wine, according to an incident report. Police say Pat had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, was unsteady on his feet, and reeked of alcohol.
They attempted to put Pat through a field sobriety test, but he refused. He also refused the Breathalyzer.
Given his alleged condition, and evidence on the scene that supported the accusation Pat was driving erratically, Miletich was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI), 3rd Offense, a class D felony in the state.
Pat was booked into Scott County jail at 6:16 AM. He was listed at 5'10" and 200 pounds.
Miletich was in custody for just short of two hours before being released at 8 AM after posting $5k bond.
If you're not familiar with Pat ... he's one of the first MMA stars. He took his first pro MMA fight in 1995, and went on to become UFC welterweight champion, fighting 39 pro fights along the way.
It was Pat's third arrest for driving drunk ... he was popped in 2019 and 2021.
The arrest comes as Miletich is preparing to return to the MMA cage. He's fighting 38-year-old Mike Jackson (of CM Punk fame) at Caged Aggression on October 14.
No official word whether the arrest will affect the fight ... but signs point to the event going on as scheduled next month.