Photo by George Napolitano/FilmMagic
Joshua Fabia, head coach for UFC welterweight Diego Sanchez, apparently almost got Sanchez’s bout with Michael Chiesa cancelled after warning that the ‘Nightmare’ knew techniques that could kill his opponent.
Joshua Fabia has been in the news a lot lately. In fact, the head instructor of Albuquerque’s School of Self Awareness, has been the narrative focal point for much of the MMA news cycle coming out of the UFC’s most recent event in Rio Rancho, NM—for his seemingly unorthodox training and corner work surrounding longtime UFC veteran Diego Sanchez.
Sanchez picked up a DQ win over Michel Pereira in a fight he was largely losing on Saturday, February 15th. However, he was not so fortunate the last time he stepped into the cage with Fabia beside him. That came at UFC 239, against Michael Chiesa, and – as MMA Junkie recently revealed – Chiesa’s dominating win could have occurred, in part, because the commission warned Sanchez against performing what Fabia seems to have claimed was one of his fighter’s most devastating techniques.
Junkie reports that Fabia was approached by the Nevada State Athletic Commission ahead of his bout with Chiesa, with some concerns over Sanchez’s pre-fight preparation. In the course of their discussion, however, Fabia told officials that he and the ‘Nightmare’ had been working on a technique Fabia had picked up from paramilitary groups in South America. A technique so powerful that Chiesa could be killed. Asked to demonstrate the move, sources – who asked that their identity be kept anonymous – say that it approximated something like a “Stone Cold Stunner”—with Sanchez starting in guillotine position, before rotating his oppoent’s neck over Sanchez’s shoulder and then dropping down with the intention of potentially breaking the neck.
The revelation apparently almost resulted in the cancellation of the fight, with officials speaking to the UFC about their concerns for fighter safety. Ultimately, however, it appears they decided that the chances of Sanchez landing such a thing were incredibly low.
Chiesa won the fight 30-26 on all three judges scorecards. Whatever unknown fatal techniques Sanchez may have been working on, that’s the bottom line.