UFC Hall of Famer Diego Sanchez has accused his former coach, Josh Fabia, of years of abuse and manipulation, claiming he feared for his and his family’s safety, and alleges that he had to pay Fabia to leave his life.
Diego Sanchez, a UFC Hall of Famer, is fighting back. He’s been victimized by his ex-coach, Josh Fabia.
Sanchez took to Instagram on Friday. He accused Fabia of years of abuse.
The self-awareness guru, he claims, made him fear for his safety. His family’s safety too. Their professional and personal relationship has ended.
Sanchez also said he’s filed a restraining order against Fabia. He calls him a “trained killer,” an “ex-hitman,” and an “ex-contract worker for the cartels.” MMA Fighting did a court records search in New Mexico. No such order was found.
“For the past 2 years, I’ve been running from a traumatic experience,” Sanchez said in the video. “Words can’t even explain how traumatizing this was. It involves a very evil man. He manipulated, blackmailed, extorted me. He put an end to my UFC career. I’ve been dealing with this psychopath for, s***, three years, four years. I paid him out. I paid him money to get out of my life. The situation had become so volatile, so evil and dark. There was no other option. Either he was going to kill me, or I was going to have to kill him.”
Sanchez ended his coaching relationship with Fabia in May 2021. This was one month after his dramatic departure from the UFC. Sanchez, “The Ultimate Fighter 1” winner, was pulled from a fight with former teammate Donald Cerrone at UFC Vegas 26. He was seeking medical records from his UFC career. He wanted to document the “long-term effects of … being a UFC fighter.” This prompted the promotion to require he certify he was not suffering from any health complications. Brain issues included.
Fabia blasted Sanchez after their breakup. He claimed he was taken advantage of as a coach and business partner.
Recently, Sanchez reposted a video. It appears to show Fabia severing their business relationship. He ordered a six-figure payout from the former UFC fighter.
In the video posted on Friday, Sanchez confirmed that he paid “psychopath” Fabia to “get out of my life.” The situation had become so volatile, so evil and dark. There was no other option. Either he was going to kill me, or I was going to have to kill him.”
Sanchez chose not to physically retaliate against Fabia. He feared he would be sent to prison. He didn’t want to miss his daughter’s childhood.
“Everybody wants to tell me, ‘Why didn’t you just snap his neck, why didn’t you just crush this guy. If I was you I would have just snapped him,’” Sanchez said. “Yeah, I would have loved to do that. But I’m dealing with a very unstable, mentally unstable, sociopathic psychopath. You’re dealing with a Charlie Manson-type of mind. He’s so far gone that it makes him unstable and dangerous.”
Sanchez claimed that during their professional relationship, he was blackmailed by Fabia. He was abandoned when his finances didn’t measure up for the guru and coach.
Confronting Fabia is necessary for him to move on in his life and career.
“Dude, I have lost sleep over this,” he said. “I have gone countless nights with no rest, sleeping in the mornings to feel safe. There’s a true psychopathic person out there that wants me dead. He believes in his mind that I was the source of ruining his life. But this man came into my life and did the opposite. He ruined mine. But in his opinion, I ruined his reputation. I ruined his company. I wasn’t the one that had the greed in my heart. He had the greed in his heart.”
“Once he found out I didn’t have as much money as he thought, he lost his mind. He implemented slavery on me. He put me into some of the harshest conditions of torture. This is real Charlie Manson-level craziness. Out of the love for my daughter and my mother and my family, I was put in these situations. I was forced to comply with everything he said and did.”
Sanchez included a call to potential promoters for another fight in MMA, bare-knuckle MMA or bare-knuckle boxing. He most recently competed for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He faced ex-boxing champ Austin Trout and lost a bloody decision in February 2023.