Sanchez ‘Healthier Than Ever’ Heading Into Eagle FC Fight

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Worried about Diego Sanchez returning to fight the dangerous Kevin Lee so soon after hsi bad COVID-19 case? Diego says he’s feeling fine. Diego Sanchez is set to return to …


UFC Fight Night: Sanchez v Pereira
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Worried about Diego Sanchez returning to fight the dangerous Kevin Lee so soon after hsi bad COVID-19 case? Diego says he’s feeling fine.

Diego Sanchez is set to return to action on March 11th against Kevin Lee in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s first stateside event for his rising fight promotion, Eagle FC.

The bout raised a lot of eyebrows when it was announced, and not just because Kevin Lee is 11 years younger and generally viewed as way higher up the fighting food chain these days. The bigger issue is with Sanchez, who was released from the UFC in 2021 after his manager implied “Nightmare” was suffering the effects of CTE after 16 years with the promotion.

Then there’s Diego’s recent bout with COVID-19, which landed the fighter in the hospital with pneumonia and blood clots.

On December 12th Diego declared “I’m good still out of breath but getting better everyday,” and here’s what he said when confirming he would indeed be fighting Lee:

That’s great if true but this wouldn’t be the first time a fighter has claimed he’s feelin’ fine when things are not, in fact, fine. That’s what athletic commissions are for: to keep fighters from participating in mismatches or when they’re not physically fit to. Unfortunately this event goes down in Florida, so don’t expect them to take any meaningful steps to protect anyone.