Diego Sanchez: ‘There is no proof of CTE’

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Diego Sanchez thinks his brain is just fine, and apparently doesn’t believe that CTE is a real thing.

Diego Sanchez is a 38-year-old man with 42 professional MMA fights under his belt. In the first 14 years of his career, his only non-decision loss came as a result of a huge cut against B.J. Penn. But at UFC 200, Joe Lauzon finished him with strikes in 86 seconds. Then Al Iaquinta knocked him out. Then Matt Brown devastated him with an elbow. His last win came via DQ after eating a ton of knees to the face, one of which was illegal.

All of that punishment to the head is bound to add up. And let’s face it, Sanchez has always been rather…unique. But he thinks he’s just fine brain-wise, and in a social media post responding to someone that mentioned CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), he made his stance on the neurodegenerative disease clear – he doesn’t believe that it’s real.

“You think? How do you know you watch a movie? You read a artical (sp)? There is no proof of CTE just another mental weapon to effect the minds of the weak! Like a placebo effect in a negative way! I have no CTE or any signs of any brain damage am I talking like Nick Diaz no I’m speaking better than I ever have!! Maybe I’m the cure for CTE! WAY OUTSIDE THE BOX”

Sanchez has been in the lately for other reasons, making waves with his savage response to former teammate Jon Jones’ DWI arrest and aligning himself with a strange new coach.