Diego Sanchez Coach Joshua Fabia Continues To Be Strange
Diego Sanchez has recently been under fire from the MAN for the choice to use Joshua Fabia as his coach. Unfortunately the more we get to know about this man, the more these concerns seem warranted.
Sanchez had a falling out with the famous Jackson Winklejohn Gym, ahead of his fight with Michael Chiesa. Moreover he explained that he did not have a formal training team to replace what he was giving up. This became clear when he showed up, and had Fabia in his corner.
These concerns only amplified with more information revealed after the bout. According to reports, before the fight, Fabia was forced to stop burning incense in the warm-up room. On top of that, he was seen putting an unknown substance in Sanchez’s nose, using a q-tip. Although this was revealed to be peppermint extract, it was still something not normal.
However, this was not the only strange thing to occur here. Apparently, before the contest Fabia felt it necessary to warn the Nevada Athletic Commission about concerns he had, regarding the safety of Michael Chiesa. He felt it important to let them know that he and Sanchez had been working on a move which, when applied properly, could kill Chiesa.
When asked to demonstrate the move, Fabia showed a guillotine variation. It involved Sanchez locking on the hold, rotating the head above his shoulders, and dropping to the mat in an attempt to break his neck. If this seems familiar, that could be because the move was likened to the pro wrestling move the “Stone Cold Stunner.” Regardless, it clearly did not work, as Diego lost to Chiesa by decision.
As it turns out, Chiesa knew about the “submission” before the fight.
According to further reports, Chiesa was warned about the antics Fabia and Sanchez were looking to employ. He was informed that there were some crazy things happening while Diego was warming up. Then, he was warned by an unnamed official about the plans to try this “Stone Cold Stunner,” but he was not concerned at all.
“I got a demonstration of what it was, and I mean, I immediately started laughing,” Chiesa said. “I was like, ‘If you think for a second you’re going to like reverse ‘Stone Cold Stunner’ me in a high-level mixed martial arts contest, you’re off your (expletive) rocker – pardon my language. But yeah, I knew what the move was.”
To put it bluntly, it seems pretty clear that Joshua Fabia has no business coaching Diego Sanchez, or anyone else. For his safety, hopefully he will make some changes, especially after his most recent fight.
