In a Twitter post directed at Conor McGregor on Thursday night, Diego Sanchez hinted that his UFC farewell fight will be against fellow grizzled veteran Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
Sanchez, the first ever winner of The Ultimate Fighter, noted his disappointment at not fighting the Irishman before wishing McGregor “more legendary success.”
“[Conor McGregor] I know your last fight was not your best showing,” Sanchez wrote on Twitter. “Stand tall you are a legend & will continue to have more legendary success! It looks to be Cowboy for my UFC finale. Sanchez versus McGregor will always be in the ether! [Hit me up] in the [Direct Messages] I might have a bone for you.”
ESPN MMA later confirmed that both Sanchez and Cerrone had verbally agreed to a fight at a UFC event on 8 May. At the time of writing, no location for that contest has been confirmed.
Sanchez is coming off a lopsided decision loss to Australian Jake Matthews in his last outing in the Octagon. However, he has won three of his last five – picking up victories over Craig White, Mickey Gall and Michel Pereira (by disqualification). “The Nightmare” had his two losses come against the aforementioned Matthews and Michael Chiesa.
As for Cerrone, Sanchez’s former training partner in Albuquerque, New Mexico hasn’t posted a win in his last five fights.
Cowboy’s last fight saw him lose a decision to Niko Price, before that was changed to a No Contest after Price failed a post-fight drug test. His four fights prior all came against top-tier competition that saw him drop a decision against former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, and TKO losses to former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor and two ex-interim UFC lightweight champions in Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson.
Already featured in the UFC Hall of Fame for his 2009 fight with Clay Guida, Sanchez will be hoping to put on a show in his last appearance under the UFC lights.