If anyone didn’t know by now, UFC president Dana White is a big fan of former The Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez, but not so much when it comes to his former head coach Joshua Fabia.
Following Sanchez’s release from the UFC leading up to his originally scheduled fight with Donald Cerrone, Fabia has been the target of a number of controversies surrounding his criticism of the UFC and going as far as to say at one point that White was sleeping with his promotion’s fighters.
In a recent interview on the “Quick Swick” podcast with former UFC fighter Mike Swick, White made his opinions known about Sanchez and Fabia in light of the recent developments and split between the two.
“Mister fucking self-awareness and all he does is come out talking shit about people,” White said. “The only thing Diego Sanchez was guilty of is being a little too nice to some people. He’s a little out there, but make no mistakes, he’s a good person. This whole thing made Diego look bad.”
“Diego and I have always had a great relationship. (Fabia) is such a fucking goofball. I think the guy is mentally ill. Should I fire up the lawyers for a goofball? It’s a complete waste of time. Anyone who takes that guy seriously should be beaten with a fucking stick.”
White was also asked whether or not he would entertain the possibility of bringing Sanchez back to the UFC to end his fighting career on his own terms, but wouldn’t commit to a stance on the issue.
Fabia and Sanchez ended their professional relationship just weeks ago following a series of unusual circumstances. Clips of the two participating in strange training routines were leaked, footage of Fabia confronting the UFC broadcast team was brought to light, and both Sanchez and Fabia hurled harsh criticisms of the UFC brass on social media.
Sanchez seems to still want to fight at least one more time before his career ends, but it’s uncertain as to whether or not he’ll return to the UFC after the events of the past few months. A legend like Sanchez deserves a proper sendoff, but it’s unknown which promotion (if any) will add him to their roster.
What is your reaction to Dana White’s comments about Joshua Fabia and Diego Sanchez?