UFC legend Diego Sanchez had plenty of memorable moments throughout his career in the Octagon, but he won’t want to look back on his farewell.
Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is back in Tennessee this week to stage a UFC Fight Night event at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
All eyes will be on Derrick Lewis and Tallison Teixeira’s clash of heavyweight behemoths in the main event, as the UFC’s knockout king looks to extend his tally of brutal finishes. Intrigue also surrounds the return of Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson in the co-headliner.
There are a number of notable names littered throughout the undercard, and that includes a once highly touted welterweight who is riding his best winning streak since becoming a legend killer in 2020.
Jake Matthews sent Diego Sanchez crashing out of the UFC in a one-sided fight
Against the wishes of many who hoped to see him hang up the gloves, The Ultimate Fighter 1 winner Diego Sanchez returned to the Octagon at UFC 253 in September 2020.
Concern had already risen about Sanchez’s partnership with the controversial Joshua Fabia in his corner, and that only grew when ‘The Nightmare’ was dominated from start to finish by Jake Matthews in Abu Dhabi.
The contest was a one-sided affair that saw ‘The Celtic Kid’ outstrike Sanchez 93-38 en route to three 30-26 scorecards in the Australian’s favor.
During his post-fight press conference, Matthews admitted that he began to feel bad for the MMA veteran during the latter stages of the beatdown.
“That last bit of ground and pound, I was this close to apologizing to him,” Matthews said.
“I’ve watched him since I was 11 years old. Between him and BJ Penn, they’re two of my all-time favorites. I didn’t let it get to my head before the fight, but now it’s going to sink in and it’s crazy being able to beat a guy like that.”
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That ultimately turned out to be Sanchez’s last UFC fight. He was released in 2021 following more than 16 years in the promotion, after he had been removed from a fight against Donald Cerrone without explanation.
Sanchez later split from Fabia and his widely criticized coaching practices. In 2024, the 43-year-old spoke out against his former trainer, whom he branded “dangerous and unstable.”
Jake Matthews can still live up to his promise
Since defeating Sanchez, Matthews’ career has been a story of inconsistency that has prevented him from living up to his potential.
The Australian alternated wins and losses across his next five fights. While he looked set to begin a run after notching impressive victories over Andre Fialho and Darrius Flowers, both results were followed by setbacks.
But since losing to the charging Michael Morales in late 2023, Matthews has won back-to-back fights for the first time since his beatdown against Sanchez.
Months on from a decision victory over Francisco Prado on home soil this past February, ‘The Celtic Kid’ will have the chance to extend his streak to three against Chidi Njokuani at UFC Nashville and perhaps stake his claim for a shot at the welterweight top 15 soon enough.