| Ultimate Fighter Eddie Sanchez might die!? |
Eddie Sanchez likes his chances at UFC 67. He might be the only one. though!
by: cron Steve Sievert
The 24 year-old heavyweight moves well for a 230-pounder and can inflict some punishment on his feet, as evidenced by four KO/TKO stops among his eight victories. But the California mixed martial artist has never encountered the likes of the opponent he faces Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas - Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (21-4-2), arguably the world’s No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter.
Sanchez, a former personal trainer who’s been fighting professionally for about a year, realizes most fans see him as cannon fodder for Cro Crop’s UFC coming-out party. No sweat, he says. The way Sanchez sees it, this fight offers only upside for him:
"All the pressure is on him. He’s coming to my backyard, and he’s used to fighting in a ring. I’m used to fighting in a cage. I think that gives me an advantage. He might be the best kickboxer in the world, but this isn’t just kickboxing."
Sanchez (8-0) is no stranger to staring down seemingly insurmountable odds. Three years ago, he was involved in a horrific car accident that nearly robbed him of life. Sanchez endured three weeks in the ICU, only to face the possibility of having his badly damaged right foot amputated. Fortunately, his foot was saved, but Sanchez was left with lingering pain.
It’s that kind of life-jarring experience that makes you appreciate every day, every opportunity. Sanchez is simply thankful for a chance to step into the octagon, regardless of who supplies the opposition:
"Everybody says I’m a big underdog, and I’m crazy to take this fight. I look at it as just another fight in my career."
So just how does Sanchez approach a guy as lethal as Cro Cop?
"Very carefully," said Sanchez, who wasn’t willing to offer a glimpse into his fight plan.
| " | Cro Cop is so favored that if you bet $100 on him you only win $7. Eddie Sanchez might get his head kicked off this weekend and visit sobummed.com. "Good on him for giving it a go" says former number one America's most wanted and UFC fan Sean "Head" Bovee |
