‘I’ve Earned A Title Shot!’ Sanchez Basks In Pressure As No. 1

“I like the pressure because I feel like pressure makes diamonds and I feel like without that type of pressure, without those challenges, you’re not really gonna get much further than where you’d like to go.

It’s not about how you start, but how you finish.

Combate Global has become a comfortable home for Latin America’s best prospects to rise and establish themselves as future stars since it was founded in 2011. Starting a career in the promotion is a big opportunity that comes with plenty of spotlight, so when Maritza Sanchez came up short in less than a round, it was a tough pill to swallow.

“It sucked,” Sanchez told MMA Mania of her pro MMA debut. “I did not get to show any of my fighting skills. It wasn’t the greatest outcome, but then again, I learned from that loss and grown. I’m actually grateful for that loss and all my losses.”

Sanchez, 25, started her combat sports journey by training in boxing at age 15. Mostly doing it just for fun, everything changed when she saw her first MMA fight in person. The in-cage action captivated Sanchez as if it was calling her name. She just had to get involved, and three years later an amateur career began.

“I did have a rough amateur career and I think that actually helped me a lot,” Sanchez said. “I’ve had a couple losses and I was like, ‘You know what, if I really want to do this, I don’t want to keep on losing.’ So, that’s definitely motivated and helped me a lot to where I’m just able to flip that switch and really go out there and do the thing.”

Amateur careers are somewhat of a rarity in modern-day MMA, especially for those who seek out lengthier runs. The more that a record and experiences are built often limits opponent options, which was the case with Sanchez, who fought 11 times and went 5-6.

Sanchez wanted even more than 11 fights in amateur, but ultimately made the jump to the big leagues of Combate.

Before she got involved in combat, Sanchez was casual at best in terms of fandom toward the sport she now has a career in. Despite the defeat in her first professional bout, Combate didn’t ease up on Sanchez, who was tossed to the wolf, Lucero “La Loba” Acosta in her sophomore appearance.

Acosta had yet to become a notable name like she is in 2024 for Combate, as it was also her second career bout. Instead, Acosta had won her debut, unlike Sanchez. That couldn’t be said for their pairing, however, as Sanchez played spoiler in a big way when she submitted Acosta with a first-round rear-naked choke.

“That was a great win for me,” Sanchez said. “It was my first pro win and it was cool because my family came out that night and were able to watch it live. So, it’s one of the moments that I’ll never forget. My first pro win, in front of my family, it was pretty awesome.

“I would say that one might be the most important one just because it was my first pro win and it was such a big moment for me because I made the bounce back after my first pro loss. I was able to showcase what I was capable of rather than going in there and coming out with another loss, which is, obviously, what no one wants. I would say that was my most memorable pro win so far.”

The win came as a precursor for the future of Sanchez who is currently the No. 1-ranked flyweight contender in Combate. It’s been nothing but dominance from the Placerville, California resident as she’s won six fights in a row with none bigger than her last.

To close out 2023, Sanchez won a unanimous decision over her most experienced opponent yet, former Bellator veteran Elina Kallionidiou.

“I’m pretty happy with it, obviously, I got the win,” Sanchez said. “That was the mindset that I was going in there [with] and no matter what I was gonna come out with a win.

“That girl, she was tough, I’ll tell you that. She had more experience in the pro career than I did. I’m just open to fight whoever and I’m ready for anyone.”

With her 26th birthday coming up this Sunday, Sanchez has all the pieces in place to have her biggest year yet in MMA.

Like most young fighters getting into the sport when she did, Sanchez was influenced and inspired by some of MMA’s all-time greats, Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. While not as big of a name as the other two, another veteran in Tecia Torres came as a great booster for Sanchez, who received some words of encouragement before the journey even truly began.

“I was watching her as well and I messaged her because I think this was before my first fight, hoping she would reply, but it doesn’t hurt to reach out, and I think I just kind of asked her for some advice,” Sanchez recalled of Torres. “I said, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about doing my first MMA fight, do you have any type of advice?’ I forget what it was that she said but she actually replied to me and I thought it was so cool.”

2024 is Sanchez’s year for gold, she believes. After amassing her winning streak and taking the top spot in the rankings, the Team Alpha Male product is a clear choice to compete in the promotion’s inaugural 125-pound title tilt. As much pressure as that may bring with all things considered, she welcomes it with open arms.

“There’s a balance between motivation and pressure,” Sanchez said. “I like the pressure because I feel like pressure makes diamonds and I feel like without that type of pressure, without those challenges, you’re not really gonna get much further than where you’d like to go. I feel like I’ve found that balance where it’s okay to have that pressure and I actually really like it because it just pushes me more to do better and be a better fighter.”