Diego Sanchez has endeared himself to the hearts of many when he fought in an exhibition match against a man with Down syndrome.
The UFC fighter is a rare positive behavior in the age where racial slur and unsavory boomerang throwing antics produce the best results.
He recently guested on the MMA Hour and explained how it is that he came to be involved with fulfilling dreams of superfan Isaac Marquez and in general shining a light on a good cause.
UFC veteran @DiegoSanchezUFC explains how he began training “The Shermanator” Isaac Marquez and helping him achieve his dream of becoming a fighter ❤️❤️❤️ #TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/7PUAKRGsvS
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) December 11, 2017
“I didn’t plan any of it at all,” said Sanchez, who appeared on the show with Marquez via Skype. “There was no plan to it. It was just me meeting someone, sharing love, sharing the mixed martial arts. For me, I’ve only improved and gotten better while training Isaac. Everything Isaac does, I train right there along with him.”
“One of the coolest things was that he immediately lost weight, he would listen to me and eat healthier,” Sanchez said. “It’s amazing. It’s been an amazing journey and we’re only seven months into the journey and we only train once a week. … In the beginning, it was just let’s get this guy to be optimal, that way he can enjoy his life and be in better shape.”
“He’s a motivation for all of the Down syndrome community,” Sanchez said. “That even though you have Down syndrome, you can still have a dream. You can still believe in your dream and the dream is possible and it can come true if you really believe in it.”
