Joshua Fabia: 38-year-old Diego Sanchez changed his style in less than a year and one guy did it

LAS VEGAS — Joshua Fabia wants to know why nobody is talking about the minimal damage Diego Sanchez has absorbed in his recent fights.

Known for a career’s worth of wars and brawls, Sanchez has recently tamed his style, which has been apparent in his last few outings, where he’s won three of his last four fights.

He’s also had a major change in his last couple of fights, as School of Self-Awareness founder Fabia has been his lone cornerman.

And Fabia feels slighted for the lack of credit he’s received for the former Jackson-Wink fighter Sanchez’s changed movement patterns.

“You’re an expert and you didn’t point out that it’s kind of (expletive) amazing that Diego Sanchez, 16 years in the UFC, been pretty much the Rocky Marciano of the sport, he’s moving,” Fabia recently told MMA Junkie. “He can change stance, he went from a southpaw to this – how are you not putting the emphasis on a 38-year-old man in less than a year, changed his style and one guy did it. Not a team of six guys, how come no one is saying anything positive like that? You see it but you’re not giving credit to the professional that has done something remarkable.”

Sanchez has been criticized for his style in the past, but has taken a different approach in his last couple of fights. He took on a much larger and more explosive Michel Pereira at UFC on ESPN+ 25, where despite mounting little offense, he was able to evade Pereira’s wild attacks on the most part.

Pereira was up on the judges’ scorecards before he struck Sanchez with an illegal knee, the most damaging strike of the fight, which resulted in a disqualification, due to Sanchez choosing not to continue after absorbing the blow that cut him.

And with the growing concern of CTE in combat sports especially, Fabia thinks it’s a topic that’s not properly addressed.

That’s where he fits in, in Sanchez’s career.

“Is anyone going to take responsibility or any type of liability for the aftermath in the wake of the affects of those adults that have been traumatized by the octagon and are now in the regular world and who knows what happens right,” Fabia said. “Is anyone taking any responsibility for that? Has anyone put any money aside for those athletes?”