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‘A Slave to Him,’ UFC Vet Diego Sanchez Relives Guru Saga on ‘Dark Side of the Cage'

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Chris De Santiago | Last updated Jan 14, 2025 2:28 PM ET

Episode 2 of VICE TV's new MMA docuseries Dark Side of the Cage follows the story of Diego Sanchez and what led to the UFC star's downfall.

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'Diego Sanchez: The Fighter and The Guru'

Sanchez was the first-ever The Ultimate Fighter winner, earning his UFC contract in 2005 nad later challenging BJ Penn for the lightweight title in 2009.

The UFC decided to part ways with the seasoned veteran in 2021, cancelling his sendoff fight against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. At this point of his career, Sanchez had controversial coach Joshua Fabia - a self-awareness "guru" of sorts - in his corner.

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Sanchez left his longtime team at Jackson-Wink in Alburquerque to go full-time with Fabia in 2019, learning strange and unusual tactics and undergoing a bizarre training regimen that included Sanchez hanging upside down while Fabia hit him like his own punching bag in one video.

This was only the tip of the iceberg of what went on between Sanchez and Fabia.

UFC legend, Diego Sanchez faced one of his toughest battles outside the cage—his tumultuous relationship with self-proclaimed "guru" Joshua Fabia. What started as mentorship soon spiraled into manipulation, leaving Sanchez at a crossroads in both his career and personal life.… pic.twitter.com/FSBiRFCwg1
— VICE TV (@VICETV) January 14, 2025

Episode Preview

'A living nightmare' for Sanchez, the former UFC fighter cut professional ties to Fabia in the weeks following his UFC release in 2021, telling the story years later of how he was manipulated and more harrowing details.

Diego Sanchez: Dark Side of The Cage Ep. 2 Preview

"I would be out every morning at 4:00 AM pouring zero degree water on my naked body," Sanchez said in a teaser for Dark Side of the Cage. "I'd have to stay out in the cold till the sun came up so I could understand the difference between darkness and light. Having a guy like [Fabia] that can prove things to you, show you things, and do things that you've never, ever seen anybody do... now you're basically like a slave to him."

Episode 2 of Dark Side of the Cage, titled 'The Fighter and The Guru' airs on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10pm ET on VICE TV.

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You can watch the first episode of Dark Side of the Cage below, which retells the story of late street fighting legend and former UFC fighter Kimbo Slice.