Though he suffered through a myriad of injures last year, featherweight Emmanuel Sanchez didn’t let that get in the way of a perfect 3-0 run for the year.
As Sanchez explains it, in order for him to make a name for himself in the featherweight division, he has to be willing to fight through injuries to keep his momentum going.
“I had torn ligaments, injured tendons, I wasn’t 100-percent, but I still took every fight,” Sanchez told MMAWeekly.com. “I couldn’t back out. I want to stay relevant, and to stay relevant, you have to stay active.
“I think I showcased a lot of great things. I can’t wait to show that I’m better than the last one. I know it’s cliché to say that someone is looking better every time, but that’s what it is. I took every single opportunity I could get and I showcased a lot.”
While no means in his twilight, Sanchez admits that he’s had to make adjustments as he’s progressed in his career to ensure he can continue to keep up such a high pace.
“I’m only 27, but when you’re young; 21,22; you get hurt and then you heal rapidly, then all of a sudden you need to take a day off or training sessions off to help recover,” said Sanchez. “It’s me listening to my body, being smart, and still being able to go out there and put it on the line.”
Sanchez (16-3) will look to continue his success from last year when he faces Sam Sicilia (15-8) in a Bellator 198 featherweight co-main event on Saturday in Rosemont, Ill.
“He has a lot of experience, but so do I. obviously he has a little bit more on the higher level, but it’s okay because I’m just getting started,” Sanchez said of Sicilia. “I’ve been fighting guys with twice as much experience as me since I got into Bellator.
This article first appeared at News – MMAWeekly.com
