Joshua Fabia has spoken out for the first time since cutting professional ties with Diego Sanchez.
Fabia had been coaching, managing and mentoring Sanchez (30-13 MMA, 19-13 UFC) for the past two years, but their relationship came to an abrupt end last week.
The controversial School of Self-Awareness founder pulled no punches when discussing Sanchez, claiming that the “The Ultimate Fighter 1” winner has been dealing with an array of issues.
“Diego was definitely a celebrity,” Fabia said in an interview on “Behind the Scenes” with Summer Helene. “He had some celebrity asshole tendencies. He didn’t like tipping, and he did some weird stuff in front of me that you know, threw up some red flags. But over time, just talking to him, it kind of just seemed, like I said, the celebrity stuff.”
He continued, “Things like, you get a divorce and you have a child, but you get a one-bedroom condo. Things just didn’t make sense to me, but I’m thinking, ‘OK, he’s got his own plans. He knows what he’s gonna do. Maybe it’s just super temporary, like I don’t know.’ And I’m wondering why he’s driving around in a $3,000 Mercedes?’ Just questions that throw up flags, but I’m thinking, ‘He’s telling me he’s frugal. He’s saving his money. OK.’
“From everything on the outside, as a trainer that’s seeing somebody three days a week – I mean, I moved him into the condo. I helped him in the divorce and this little moment and everything seemed pretty much the same as anybody else under these circumstances, to a certain degree.”
Fabia and Sanchez got into numerous spats with the UFC before splitting, among them an argument with the broadcast commentary crew in their UFC 253 fighter meeting. The final straw was when Fabia requested the history of Sanchez’s medical records prior to his Donald Cerrone fight on May 8, which sparked some concern from the UFC. When Sanchez failed to confirm that he wasn’t suffering from any long-term medical conditions before the fight, the UFC decided to terminate his contract.
Sanchez, who last week announced that he cut business ties with Fabia, has not commented on the matter. Fabia, on the other hand, didn’t mince his words, lobbing hefty accusations towards Sanchez.
“As I get to more information, as I’m with the lawyer and the lawyer talks to Diego and asks Diego about his education, and he starts talking about he was in special education,” Fabia said. “Holy sh*t. Huge red flags, man. This is not, at all, what anyone who perceived, and Diego is not anywhere near what anybody knows, man.
“And Diego has been an addict. He hasn’t told anybody for the past five months, I was his sponsor living with him, that I had to live there because he was broke and lost all his money and strung out on Kratom and alcohol and 30 other substances, that he has sexual abuse issues. No, he didn’t say any of that, man, and I’ve been holding up all this. I’ve been doing everything, and everybody’s coming at me.”
Fabia has been the subject of plenty of criticism for his unorthodox training methods, including allegedly teaching Sanchez a “death choke” ahead of his fight with Michael Chiesa at UFC 239. He was also seen chasing fighters, including Sanchez and Emil Meek, around the cage with a sharp blade in training, as well as a recent video that surfaced of Fabia punching and kicking Sanchez while he was suspended upside down.
But despite everything that’s been said about him, including UFC president Dana White labeling him “bats*t crazy,” Fabia thinks he’s been unfairly painted as the bad guy. In fact, he believes like he’s the one that’s been used for the past couple of years, not the other way around.
“I’ll put it out there, I’ll put out all the proof, I’ll put out all the videos, man,” Fabia said. “Diego has clearly been taking advantage of me for two years, as I have been fighting for him and putting myself on the line for him with zero benefit. I am the one getting death threats here.”
Joshua Fabia details ‘weird stuff’ Diego Sanchez did while partners, claims being taken advantage of