Diego Sanchez is finally ditching his sleep-themed nicknames.
The UFC veteran started his career as ‘The Nightmare’ before a brief stint as ‘The Dream’ which was followed by a return to ‘The Nightmare’.
Sanchez is definitely one of the more frequent moniker-changers on the roster and as he enters the autumn of his career, the first ever Ultimate Fighter winner has decided he needs one last nickname.
Ahead of his upcoming meeting with the returning Al Iaquinta at UFC Fight Night 108, Sanchez has revealed that he wants Bruce Buffer to yell a different name when he is announced to the crowd on April 22.
“‘The Nightmare’ to ‘The Dream’ back to ‘The Nightmare’; this is the year of the lion. I call it the rise of the lion,” Sanchez said on Luke Thomas‘ radio show. “I’m not trying to take Amanda Nunes’ name or anything like that but what we’re going to be called this year is… ‘El Corazón de León’ Sanchez!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Reg4uaahBaY
“My career has been based on a big heart. I’ve always looked at myself as having a big heart — that Rocky Balboa type of big-hearted individual with that mentality and spirit. You know, just straight up that’s who I am.
“I haven’t decided whether I’m going to change the name to ‘El Corazón de León’ or just ‘El Corazón’ Sanchez but I can predict another name change coming on.”
Sanchez last fought in November, when he claimed a unanimous decision over the debuting Marcin Held, and he took to Instagram after the above interview to confirm the name change, although the latest update would lead you to believe that his swanky new sobriquet will be in English, rather than Spanish as he initially suggested.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ91rCGD–Y/
“The nightmare is no more,” Sanchez wrote. “Diego ‘Lionheart’ Sanchez” era starts right now 2/26/2017.
“There is no going back. It is finished.”
