Former UFC lightweight title challenger and Ultimate Fighter winner, Diego Sanchez is set for his venture to the boxing ring next month, booking a fight against fellow Octagon veteran, John Makdessi on the ICS Mania 1 card in his native New Mexico.
Sanchez, a veteran fan-favorite contender during his storied Octagon tenure, departed the promotion back in 2020, following a unanimous decision defeat to Jake Matthews at UFC 253 in the Middle East.
However, making his most recent mixed martial arts outing against former interim UFC lightweight title challenger, Kevin Lee under the banner of Eagle FC back in 2022 in a super lightweight pairing, Sanchez would drop a decision loss.
Diego Sanchez books boxing debut against UFC alum, John Makdessi
And making a brief BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) outing back in 2023 against former world boxing champion, Austin Trout, Sanchez suffered an eventual fourth round knockout loss.
During a recent interview with KRQE last week, Sanchez confirmed his debut fight in professional boxing against former UFC lightweight challenger, Makdessi — expressing his excitement at competing in the sport for the first time.
“It’s a dream come true,” Diego Sanchez said. “I was there when Johnny Tapia fought there and I always had the dream of fighting there and that was even before the dream I had of fighting. Later as I got older and I was in the UFC, I always worked hard to try and get the UFC there and it never happened. We know that the ghost of Johnny Tapia, I know he is going to be there, and yeah maybe he will be haunting our opponents.”
“I am ready to go in there and beat this dude with one hand, you know because this isn’t kickboxing, this isn’t the UFC,” Diego Sanchez explained. “I am going to put pressure, I am going to put pace, and I am going to fight for Albuquerque, I am going to fight for New Mexico. I am going to go in there and I am going to put it on this guy.”
In the night’s headliner, former undisputed UFC light heavyweight champions, Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans will rekindle their fifteen-year-old rivalry in a rematch inside the squared circle this time around.
