Diego Sanchez has dropped out of what was potentially his retirement fight on May 8.
Milenio’s C. Contreras Legaspi was first to report the development. Sanchez was expected to face Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at the Fight Night event.
No reason has been reported regarding the circumstances behind Sanchez’s withdrawal. However, the promotion is expected to seek a replacement to face Cerrone at 170lbs.
Sanchez vs. Cerrone is not the only hit the May 8 card has taken. Earlier, the event also lost its main event, with a cut forcing T.J. Dillashaw to withdraw from the event. His fight with Cory Sandhagen is expected to be rebooked.
Back in January, Sanchez (30-13) suggested that his next fight would be his last. Winner of The Ultimate Fighter 1 in 2005 at middleweight, the 15+ year octagon veteran is 3-2 in his last five fights, but coming off a loss to Jake Matthews. One of those wins was a DQ victory due to an illegal knee by Michel Pereira in the pair’s February 2020 match-up.
Cerrone (36-15, 1NC) last fought to a draw against Niko Price, a result that was overturned to a No Contest when Price tested positive for marijuana. Prior to that, the legendary “Cowboy” had lost four straight, albeit to some of the best in the lightweight division — Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson, and Anthony Pettis.
UFC on ESPN 24 (UFC Vegas 26) on May 8 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
