Diego Sanchez retains a special place in the hearts of UFC fans around the world, not only for his win on Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter – but also for the sheer weirdness that followed.
From crazy walkouts with a bejeweled crucifix to literally hanging upside down while his so-called 'trainer' hit him in the head, it's safe to say Diego Sanchez is one of a kind.
Ahead of VICE TV's premiere of 'Dark Side of the Cage: The Fighter and the Guru,' it's time to revisit the madness that brought one of Joe Rogan's favorite fighters to the octagon.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Joe Rogan celebrates the 'craziness' that Diego Sanchez brought to the UFC
Diego Sanchez may not be remembered as one of the best fighters in UFC history, but when it comes to pure, unadulterated entertainment, there are only a handful of athletes who can match the craziness of the 'Nightmare'.
Speaking to former UFC fighter and now Global Fight League athlete Kevin Lee in 2019, the popular commentator explained that one of the reasons he adored Sánchez is that despite all the ups and downs, he never lost his passion for violence. has lost.
“That [dip in form] holds many guys back from having the same enthusiasm and passion as when they were 22 and pictured themselves on the cover of Fighter's Only Magazine…
“When that dream falls apart and you're just a really good fighter, some people lose their enthusiasm for the game… And then there's Diego Sanchez, who doesn't seem to care about that and is just there to destroy people”
Lee couldn't help but giggle as he admitted, “Diego sure is crazy,” before Rogan noted that when it comes to cage fighting, “There's all different kinds of crazy, right?”
“I mean, when I saw Diego crush Mickey Gall, I thought, 'God damn it, look at this guy, he hasn't lost any enthusiasm in all these years of fighting.' And you have to realize that guy won season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2005 and here we are 14 years later – that's crazy.”
What's just as crazy is the long, long list of names that Sanchez had stepped into the cage against, including Kenny Florian, Nick Diaz, Joe Lauzon, Clay Guida, Al Iaquinta, Matt Brown, Jim Miller, Mickey Gall, Michael Chiesa, Michel Pereira and finally Kevin Lee.
Sanchez fought in the UFC for 15 years, from 2005 to 2020
Diego Sanchez's longevity in the UFC is legendary.
After making his promotional debut in the Series 1 finale of TUF in 2005, the 'Nightmare' refused to hang up the gloves until 2022 – and even then, Sanchez still took on a BKFC fight the following year.
“You think about all the people he's beaten that are long retired,” Rogan continued.
“Remember when he walked up to the octagon and shouted 'YES, YES, YES'? I would love it, he's so damn crazy, but in the best way, absolutely the best way.
“He's still one of my favorite guys to watch,” said the UFC commentator, who acknowledged in a previous interview with Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin that there simply aren't many fighters like Sanchez in the game anymore.
“When he beat Micky Gall like that I was incredibly impressed. I thought this boy was going to test him, but he didn't at all; [that was a] best performance from Diego Sanchez, 15 years in the game, and that's just in the UFC – he had fights for the UFC, he's been here for 14/15 years.
“It's just so great that he's still so excited about it. That's a long time in a martial art [and] a huge deviation [from the norm].”
Sanchez left the UFC in 2020 with a promotional record of 19-13, although his broader professional MMA record stands at 30-14. The “Nightmare” episode of “Dark Side of the Cage” premieres later this week.
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