Learn more about Diego Sanchez's UFC history, fighter facts, and Q&A below.
Fighter Facts
- Won three of his last five fights
- Received his black belt in BJJ in October of 2013 from Roberto Tussa
- Winner of the middleweight division of The Ultimate Fighter’s first season
- Won first 19 fights.
- Fought at 185, 170, 155 and 145 pounds in the UFC
UFC History
UFC 253 (9/27/20) Sanchez lost a three round unanimous decision to Jake Matthews
UFC Fight Night (2/15/20) Sanchez defeated Michel Pereira via disqualification (illegal knee) at 3:09 of the third round
UFC 239 (7/6/19) Sanchez lost a three round unanimous decision to Michael Chiesa
UFC 235 (3/2/19) Sanchez stopped Mickey Gall via strikes at 4:13 of the second round
UFC 228 (9/8/18) Sanchez won a three round unanimous decision over Craig White
UFC Fight Night (11/11/17) Sanchez was knocked out by Matt Brown at 3:44 of the first round
UFC Fight Night (4/22/17) Sanchez was knocked out by Al Iaquinta at 1:38 of the first round
UFC Fight Night (11/5/16) Sanchez won a three round unanimous decision over Marcin Held
UFC 200 (7/9/16) Sanchez was stopped by Joe Lauzon via strikes at :26 of the first round
UFC 196 (3/5/16) Sanchez won a three round unanimous decision over Jim Miller
UFC Fight Night (11/21/15) Sanchez lost a three round unanimous decision to Ricardo Lamas
UFC Fight Night (6/7/14) Sanchez won a three round split decision over Ross Pearson
UFC 171 (3/15/14) Sanchez lost a three round unanimous decision to Myles Jury
UFC 166 (10/19/13) Sanchez lost a three round unanimous decision to Gilbert Melendez
UFC on FUEL TV (3/3/13) Sanchez won a three round split decision over Takanori Gomi
UFC on FUEL TV (2/15/12) Sanchez lost a three round unanimous decision to Jake Ellenberger
UFC Live (3/3/11) Sanchez won a three round unanimous decision over Martin Kampmann
UFC 121 (10/23/10) Sanchez won a three round unanimous decision over Paulo Thiago
UFC 114 (5/29/10) Sanchez lost a three round unanimous decision to John Hathaway.
UFC 107 (12/12/09) Sanchez was stopped via cuts by BJ Penn at 2:37 of the fifth round in a bout for the UFC lightweight championship.
TUF 9 Finale (6/20/09) Sanchez scored a three round split decision win over Clay Guida
UFC 95 (2/21/09) Sanchez scored a three round unanimous decision over Joe Stevenson
TUF 7 Finale (6/21/08) Sanchez stopped Luigi Fioravanti with strikes at 4:07 of the third round.
UFC 82 (3/1/08) Sanchez secured a submission due to strikes victory over David Bielkheden at 4:43 of the first round.
UFC 76 (9/22/07) Sanchez lost a three round split decision to Jon Fitch.
UFC 69 (4/7/07) Sanchez lost a three round unanimous decision to Josh Koscheck.
UFC Fight Night (12/13/06) Sanchez scored a stunning knockout over Joe Riggs at 1:45 of the first round.
UFC Fight Night (8/17/06) Sanchez won the biggest fight of his MMA career by decisioning Karo Parisyan over three rounds in one of the best bouts of 2006.
UFC 60 (5/27/06) Sanchez scored a unanimous decision victory over veteran John Alessio.
Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale (11/05/05) Diego won an exciting unanimous decision over Nick Diaz.
UFC 54 (8/20/05) Diego defeated dangerous striker Brian Gassaway by submission due to strikes at 1:56 of the second round.
Ultimate Fighter Finale (4/9/05) Diego defeated Kenny Florian by TKO due to strikes on the ground in 2:49 of the first round to become the Middleweight Ultimate Fighter winner.
The Ultimate Fighter, Season 1
On episode 4 Diego choked out Alex Karalexis in the first round.
On episode 8 Diego choked out Josh Rafferty in the first round.
On episode 11 Diego won a hard fought three round split decision over teammate Josh Koscheck to advance to the finals.
Q&A
TRAINING: My typical training day is a full day at Jackson's gym, training with heavyweights and lightweights to get strength and speed, and a ton of BJJ in the gi at Gracie Barra NM.
When and why did you start training for fighting? I started karate lessons at nine years old. Years of martial arts training aided my athletic pursuits at Del Norte High School as a wrestler and on the high school gridiron as a linebacker. In my senior year in 2000, I won the state championship in the 152 lb weight class and etched my name amongst the best ever grapplers in school history.
What ranks and titles have you held? I am a black belt in Gaidojutsu and the former KOTC Welterweight Champion. I have also won multiple grappling championships. Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The Ultimate Fighter season one winner.
Do you have any heroes? Rickson Gracie.
What is your favorite technique? Rear naked choke.
What was your job before you started fighting? I worked at UPS.
