A look back on Diego Sanchez’s better days.
This past week and a half were mostly about the trainwreck that is Diego Sanchez’s post-UFC life. The stories have been unfortunate and foolish, yet riveting at the same time.
As the primary contributor to all of this lunacy, I thought I’d shift things for a bit and look back on Sanchez’s better days. Back when he personified “The Nightmare” nickname and his madness was at a justifiable level.
It was also back in the good old days when the UFC held shows for the troops. This night in 2006 was all about the US Marines. And as a hat tip to their services for the country, they were gifted with an event headlined by Sanchez and the ever-entertaining Joe Riggs.
Sanchez at the time was already a year into his UFC run. He held a 16-0 record and was coming off a Fight of the Night performance against Karo Parisyan. Riggs was already a respected veteran with a 25-7 record and wins over Nick Diaz, Chris Lytle, and Jason Von Flue.
The buzz around Sanchez was high, with the crowd mostly made up of uniformed men and women chanting his name. And they weren’t let down at all.
After absorbing a kick, Sanchez later lands a right hook and briefly drops Riggs. He follows up with a knee strike and a few punches for good measure. Albuquerque’s son gets the job done.
Just with these performances alone, it’s difficult not to be a Diego Sanchez fan. And as many on here have expressed, here’s hoping that he pulls through from this chaotic ordeal.