“There’s no TEAM in I.” — Diego Sanchez
UFC welterweight veteran Diego Sanchez is about to step into the Octagon for the 30th time in his storied mixed martial arts (MMA) career, following a debut win in the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 1 combat sports reality show.
The fact that “The Nightmare” is still competing on major pay-per-view (PPV) fight cards in his original weight class more than 14 years after his UFC debut is a testament to his durability, as well as his success as a cage fighter.
But we may need to talk about these wacky pre-fight promos.
“It is time to be crowned the king I was born to be,” Sanchez told Ariel Helwani. “It’s a king’s mindset in play. I am not your average cookie jar. I am making magic happen. Witness it Saturday night. This is gonna be fast. It will be a first-round finish. I’m coming with an explanation mark [sic]. I am more than just a fighter. I am an entertainer.”
Color me entertained.
Sanchez (29-11) is scheduled to face fellow lightweight import (and fellow TUF champion) Michael Chiesa at tomorrow night’s (Sat., July 6, 2019) UFC 239: “Jones vs. Santos” event, which takes place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“The Nightmare” made headlines last week after revealing his split with Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the place he called home for most of his career. At age 37, Sanchez is clearly in the twilight of his career, but is also coming off back-to-back-wins over Craig White and Mickey Gall.
Will Chiesa become his third straight? We’ll find out tomorrow night.