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Diego Sanchez has named two potential opponents for his second bare-knuckle fight.
On February 17, Sanchez will make his BKFC debut against former WBA light middleweight boxing champion Austin Trout at Knuckle Mania 3. If the former UFC lightweight title challenger emerges victorious, he has two high-profile opponents in mind for his next fight. During an interview with MiddleEasy, the 41-year-old had this to say:
“As far as bare-knuckle goes, right now, it’s just focusing on Austin Trout. After we have this bout with Austin, it could be anyone, man. There could be a big payday fight with Chad Mendes at 165. There could be a big fight at 175, Mike Perry. He’s a big name. I think he’s one of the biggest names in the sport right now, and I like that style matchup. It’s a good fight.”
Sanchez last fought in March 2022, losing an MMA fight against Kevin Lee at Eagle FC 46. He has since signed with BKFC to start the next chapter of his fighting career. ‘Nightmare’ had to pass a medical exam before being matched up against Trout, but the former UFC fighter is confident he will succeed in bare-knuckle.
Watch Diego Sanchez's interview with MiddleEasy below:
Diego Sanchez sends a warning to Austin Trout
Diego Sanchez doesn’t seem to like his upcoming opponent. Sanchez first showed respect for Austin Trout when they signed with BKFC, but ‘Nightmare’ now believes Trout is being disrespectful by overlooking him. During the same interview, the former UFC fighter had this to say about ‘No Doubt’:
“Austin Trout is in for the rudest awakening of his life… I’m gonna go out there and I’m gonna slaughter this man. He’s arrogant, he’s cocky, and he doesn’t understand the concepts and the principles. He doesn’t understand the dynamics of this new sport.”
Sanchez vs. Trout will be the co-main event for Knuckle Mania 3, headlined by Lorenzo Hunt attempting to defend his 185-pound title against Mike Richman. There is a possibility of disaster for ‘Nightmare’ in bare-knuckle, but the 41-year-old seems motivated and ready to silence the doubters by taking out the former WBA boxing world champion.
