Diego Sanchez knows his fighting career is coming to a close.
Sanchez has been fighting professionally since 2002 and actually won the first season of The Ultimate Fighter at middleweight. He has since fought at middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, and featherweight and has fought the who’s who of the division.
The 38-year-old has had 42 professional fights and his 43 is set for UFC 253 on September 26. For Sanchez, he says that could be his final one.
“This could be my last fight,” Sanchez said on Real Quick with Mike Swick Podcast (via MMAFighting). “This fight coming up. I will be fighting Sept. 26, Jake Matthews, location to be announced, so I don’t know if it’s going to be Fight Island, I don’t know if it’s going to be Vegas. They have me, I’m on deck, it’s my time to get on them wrestling mats and go to work, I don’t know where it’s gonna be.
“I’m just grateful to have an opportunity through the crisis, coronavirus, and everything that’s going on all around the world, I have an opportunity. I’m just grateful to have any opportunity right now, because opportunity’s not just jumping around like it used to. You get an opportunity to make some good money, help your family, establish your future, you’ve got to jump on it. They sent me this contract, six weeks to get your ass in shape, Diego, and get your ass to the UFC and fight. I’m like, alright, we’re doing this.”
Currently, Diego Sanchez says he still has four fights left on his UFC contract. So, part of him wants to fight of his contract, but admits retirement is on his mind.
For now, Sanchez is just focused on his UFC 253 bout against Jake Matthews and getting his hand raised.
