If you saw Eddie Sanchez in Belfast International Airport on the morning after his June 2007 fight with Colin Robinson, you wouldn’t have recognized him behind the mask of bruises sustained during the torrid 5:32 bout, which Sanchez won via TKO in the second round. But for the man dubbed “The Manic Hispanic”, there was no hiding, no sheepish looks at the people staring at him. This is his job, and those bruises were nothing more than badges of honor.
“I love what I do, and coming home from that fight and fights like that, I was proud,” he said. “I was in a fight, that’s what I do for a living, and you can look at me, but look at the other guy.”
Sanchez laughs, and most of the time, he’s been right. Winner of 10 of 12 pro bouts, the heavyweight prospect will always take a few shots in the Octagon, but more often than not, he’ll make sure that his opponents will be icing themselves down for a week after the fight as well. It’s made him a popular competitor on fight night, but whether it’s got him respect as a future contender or champion is still open to debate.
“It’s still up in the air,” said Sanchez, who returns to the Octagon this Wednesday to take on Justin McCully. “I really don’t think about that, but it’s in the back of your head. I’d like to have the respect of all the fighters in the UFC and I think I do somewhat. For this next fight against McCully, when I got word that it was gonna be a dark match, I didn’t flip out or anything. I was looking forward to showing off my skills on TV, but it’s okay because my fight will probably be aired. (Laughs)”
That’s because Sanchez is hoping for a spectacular knockout or Fight of the Night type performance against the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. But he knows that keeping the fight standing is the key to fulfilling that hope.
“We’ve seen his fights in the UFC and we know he likes to close the distance, go for the takedown, and work his ground, whether it’s for a submission or to ground and pound,” said Sanchez of McCully, who is coming off a July loss to Gabriel Gonzaga. “So we’ve worked a lot on our takedown defense and we’re basically gonna work with the ‘sprawl and brawl’ for this fight. He won’t take me down and it’s gonna be an exciting fight.”
And in this one, Sanchez won’t be carrying the baggage into the Octagon that he did the last time, when he took on Antoni Hardonk in June. For that fight, the Temecula, California resident came in on less than two weeks notice, and his rapidly depleted gas tank – along with Hardonk’s kicks and pinpoint punches – helped send him to defeat. But before the end came at 4:15 of the second round, Sanchez almost knocked Hardonk out in the first round and showed a tremendous chin and heart in what was one of the year’s best fights. It made a point that you may beat Sanchez, but you won’t break him.
“I think it’s something you’re just born with, that fighter’s instinct and that motivation,” he said. “I still get a little bit PO’ed about the first fight I lost to (Mirko) Cro Cop, but I grew from that and the last fight. Sometimes you grow more from your losses.”
In the UFC though, if you lose too much, you could be without a spot in the organization. So Sanchez, with a full eight week training camp for McCully under his belt, is certain that he will keep himself alive in what has suddenly become a deep division again, and he’s looking to shock some people along the way.
“I feel like I’m the dark horse in this division,” said the 26-year old. “I’m still young, I still have a lot to grow in the sport, and now the division is stacked. You’ve got (Junior) Dos Santos, (Gabriel) Gonzaga, (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira, (Frank) Mir, (Brock) Lesnar, and it’s stacked like the old days. It’s a test to keep on climbing that ladder, but I’m still young and I still have that powerful right hand, so I’m gonna keep working on my weaknesses, be patient, and everything will come.”
That’s not even mentioning young guns like Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez or the still-relevant Randy Couture. It’s an exciting time to be a heavyweight, and an even greater time to be an exciting heavyweight. Sanchez fits that description perfectly, and he’s ready to make his move next year.
“Nothing against McCully, but I’ve got to do what I have to do, and after this big win, hopefully by the middle of 2009 I’ll be in title contention.”
UFC Fight for The Troops airs on Spike TV on Wednesday, December 10th at 9pm ET / PT. To donate to the Fallen Heroes Fund, click here.
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