Diego Sanchez is committed to his alliance with Joshua Fabia, regardless of what friends, fellow fighters, or even family have to say about it.
Joshua Fabia has become among the most controversial figures in mixed martial arts. That status has accelerated over the past couple of weeks, with Fabia’s dispute with the UFC contributing to the premature release of Diego Sanchez, followed up by Fabia continuing to attack Dana White and the UFC after the fact.
What’s most controversial about Fabia, though, is the influence he appears to have over Sanchez. Fabia and Fabia alone is Diego Sanchez’s coach, mentor, manager, trainer, and basically any other role you can think of professionally and perhaps to a large extent personally. Because according to Sanchez, he has decided to even cut off some family members out of “loyalty” to Fabia (transcription via Anton Tabuena of Bloody Elbow).
“Being open and honest, I think that’s one big factor about me and Joshua… and also loyalty,” Sanchez said in a recent interview with John Gibson. “I’ve been loyal in not giving up on this guy. Not believing the bullshit of the internet. Even to the point where I’m having to — I’m having family members that, I’m having to disown some family members because it’s that hard. The agenda is so hard, so pushed so hard!
“I’ve got my own family members telling me that they know better than me for my life. They’re telling me ‘get that guy — he’s conning you! He’s gonna f—k your whole life up! Get him out of your life!’ And these people are like ‘This is happening. This is real.’”
Sanchez believes Fabia’s reputation has been wrongly tarnished. Furthermore, he says that if everyone knew what Fabia has meant for him in times where he’s felt alone and abandoned, they would have a better understanding of their relationship.
“This poor guy had his reputation shit on,” Sanchez said. “This guy is (labeled as) a con artist, manipulator, when really, the truth of the story is, this is just the only guy that came around! There was no one else to help me, man! This is one guy that could give me some time and energy! Sacrificed from his own life to help me! Because he knew I was f—ked, he knew I was getting f—ked! He’s seen it! He came into my life. He helped me. He didn’t want to do this MMA s—t.
“(Fabia) not only protect me, teach me how to heal myself, teach me how to get standing straight up again. It’s everything.”
Many people have expressed concerns that Fabia is taking advantage of Sanchez and that Sanchez is more easily manipulated due to potentially suffering CTE throughout his fighting career. Sanchez has volunteered to take part in a study of his brain that will lend more information about his current mental health. Regardless of what results come from the study, though, whatever Sanchez decides to do and whoever he decides to align himself with and to what extent will ultimately remain up to him.
What do you make of Diego Sanchez’s admission that he has “disowned” some family members out of loyalty to Joshua Fabia?
