Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Joshua Fabia, head coach to longtime veteran Diego Sanchez, hasn’t endeared himself to the mixed martial arts (MMA) community due to his unusual coaching style and methods. After all, it’s not everyday you see a trainer chase one of his pupils around with a sharp blade inside the cage, or claim to have never-before seen life-ending techniques that can be utilized inside the Octagon.
After Diego Sanchez’s disqualification win over Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 169 in Rio Rancho, N.M. a few weeks ago (recap), Fabia and Sanchez made the media rounds to defend their techniques. But not everyone is buying what they’re selling, including welterweight contender, James Krause. That’s why he is looking to hunt down a showdown against Sanchez in the foreseeable future.
“There’s a couple of different routes I could go,” Krause told MMA Junkie. “I feel like the two routes are like fighting some legends of this sport. A couple of names come to mind like Diego Sanchez, Carlos Condit. I have a thing for Diego for some reason,” he added, before taking aim at Fabia.
“I can’t stand his coach (Joshua Fabia). I feel like they’re selling wolf tickets to the sport of MMA, to the fans of MMA. Just some of that stuff, that guy says is ridiculous to me. I just can’t seem to get behind it, and I think he’s got Diego manipulated, and I think – I’m not a fan of the man.”
For Krause, who is a gym owner and and an MMA coach himself, short-cutting your way to the top of the MMA game as a coach is a dangerous game Fabia seems to be playing, which isn’t good for anyone close to him. Furthermore, it disrespects the many trainers and coaches who have put the work in to get to the top.
“You have to put some real work into this sport to become a coach of a high-level athlete, and I feel like this guy has short-cut that and hasn’t done those things. There’s a difference between a motivator and a coach,” Krause said.
“If you need motivation to fight at this level, you’re probably not in the right place. Is he a good motivator? I’m not sure, maybe he is. At the end of the day, it takes more than motivation to win at this level, and I just think he’s a master manipulator, and he’s got somebody like Diego, who’s got some real skills, and I think he’s holding him back because of it. And there’s no shortcuts in this sport, and it’s really hard for me to respect somebody that tries to shortcut the process to get to the high level especially in coaching, especially coaching high-level athletes.”
Diego is 1-1 directly under Fabia since leaving Jackson-Wink MMA in 2019. As for Krause, he recently had his six-fight win streak snapped by Tevin Giles at UFC 247 in a fight many felt James rightfully won.
Then again, Krause did accept the fight on less than a day’s notice after Antonio Arroyo was forced out of the bout. Furthermore, it was contested at middleweight, the first time James has ever competed in the weight class.
Anyone feeling a potential match up between Krause and Sanchez?