Diego Sanchez and his team are filing a formal appeal with the New Mexico Athletic Commission seeking to overturn the result in his recent loss to Austin Trout in BKFC over allegations of greasing.
Ricky Kottenstette,
Sanchez’s representative, confirmed that the appeal would be filed and stated the hope to appear in front of the commission at its next hearing in March.
“We will be filling a formal complaint with the NMAC to reverse the bout,” Kottenstette said in a statement to MMA Fighting. “In a sport where clinching is allowed it 100 percent eliminated his chance at implementing a key strategy in his game plan.”
The allegations over greasing came to light just after Sanchez suffered a fourth-round TKO loss to Trout in the co-main event at BKFC KnuckleMania 3, which was held in Albuquerque, N.M.
Sanchez shared a long statement and videos on Instagram that featured Trout in his corner, between rounds. The cutman applied Vaseline to Trout’s forehead and neck and then massaged his shoulders and neck.
The former Ultimate Fighter season 1 winner alleged that placing Vaseline on the shoulders and neck prevented him from effectively using his clinch, which was a primary weapon he intended to employ in the fight against a boxing champion like Trout.
” This was between rounds! And the video before was before the fight [Guillermo Perez] and Austin’s corner in collaboration greasing shoulders and neck before the fight to thwart my game plan to actively strike from the clinch!” Sanchez wrote. This changed my inside fight, where I was able to defeat Austin Trout (five-time world boxing champion) in BKFC.
“PLEASE HELP ME GET THIS LOSS OVERTURNED! It was not fair and I got scars to last a lifetime. And had to eat through a straw for three days! Had I got all greased up on my beard his punches would have slid off my chin as well!”
Sanchez continued in a separate post with additional videos showing Trout during the fight as he continued to allege cheating that prevented him from employing his strategy. Over three-plus rounds, Sanchez absorbed a lot of punishment and a couple of nasty cuts, which ultimately led to the doctor’s stoppage in the fourth round.
“I took a lot of extra damage in this bout that I shouldn’t have,” Sanchez said. ! I hope [BKFC president] Dave Feldman can make this right! I have always felt that he was honest with me and has done me justice! I need to have this lost overturned by lawyers as soon as possible. This was clearly cheating. They were afraid of what I would do in the clinch. If Queensbury rules were in effect, I would not have taken this fight. I took it simply because Luis Palomino used the clinch to grab the head of his opponent and strike while simultaneously grabbing his neck and shoulders. That was the fairness of the match up!
“I’m no idiot I would not try to box the five-time boxing world champion with no gloves! The ground was neutral. The video is not misleading! He was just able to slip away when I got to his neck! I remembered being in the fight recognizing it but just kept focus on winning any way I could! These scars last a lifetime, and the loss .”
is also a permanent one.
Sanchez now seeking to have the result in the fight overturned with the appeal being filed in New Mexico.
The 41-year-old veteran signed with BKFC after last competing in Eagle FC in 2022, which came after a 15-year career spent in the UFC.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/2/22/23610461/diego-sanchez-to-file-appeal-seeking-to-overturn-result-in-austin-trout-fight-over-greasing?rand=96749
