John McCarthy on Diego Sanchez following UFC Rio Rancho: “How many fights is enough fights?”

Referee John McCarthy believes there is just “something completely different” about Diego Sanchez following last weekend’s UFC event in Rio Rancho.

The UFC legend, Sanchez, picked up a disqualification victory over Michel Pereira in front of a home crowd in New Mexico Saturday night.

After dominating the majority of the opening two rounds, it appeared that Pereira was on his way to securing a finish in round three. That was until the Brazilian landed an illegal knee to the top of the head of Sanchez, which resulted in the referee stepping in to call a stop to the action. ‘The Nightmare’ had suffered a laceration on the top of his head from the strike and was asked if he could continue by officials. After taking a moment to think things over, Diego Sanchez opted not to continue and was thus awarded the disqualification victory.

Following the contest, audio of Diego’s corner advice from in between rounds began circulating on the internet. That advice, or lack there of – depending on perspective, fell under hard criticism from many fans, analysts and fellow fighters.

Most recently it was veteran referee John McCarthy who shared his disappointment in the advice given from the corner of Diego Sanchez at Saturday’s event.

“Or say ‘You could have lost that round’,” McCarthy said on the Weighing In Show with Josh Thomson. “Because you’ve got to have your guy go out there thinking ‘Hey man I have to win this’, and or ‘I’m doing good, fine let me just continue with what I am doing’. But you have also got to give him… Look I understand what he is saying and you know Trevor Wittman said some things about it, when he says take a ‘V’. I understand what he is saying. I’ve heard that in training. It is all about the lateral step and what you are going to do, but he’s not giving him good advice. Because Diego was not in that fight in the first two rounds. He was getting killed!”

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John McCarthy continued where he questioned whether or not Diego Sanchez should continue fighting.

“And you know this whole thing of putting his hand out the way he’s putting it and you’re going ‘man’. There is just something different about him completely. Now, the way he walked in, I call it the Cocky Rooster, I kind of enjoyed it. But, people have to start looking at you know, how many fights is enough fights?”

Do you think Diego Sanchez should continue fighting following this weekend’s DQ victory over Michel Pereira at UFC Rio Rancho? Sound off in the comment section PENN Nation!

February 18, 2020