Sanchez, Urbina headline MMA card with eyes on their futures
Regarding the traditional MMA news conference/weigh-in posedown, there’s only one rule: don’t engage physically. That’s what the fight itself is for.
Otherwise, pretty much anything goes. More often than not, the two opponents shake hands before or after meeting each other’s steely gaze. Sometimes, there’s even a perfunctory hug.
Other times, there’s no hug and no handshake — just withering stares. That’s the route flyweights Joby Sanchez (9-2) and Jesús Urbina (8-3) took at a Wednesday news conference, three days before tonight’s fight. It’s the main event of the inaugural Jackson-Wink Fight Night card at Isleta Resort & Casino.
It was not so much that they don’t like each other, both fighters said afterward, even though it was clear that they don’t. It’s all about sharp focus, they said, on what’s at stake.
Sanchez, an Albuquerquean who trains at Jackson-Wink, won his first six pro fights — all by submission or TKO — and was signed by
the UFC in 2014. But after losing two of three on the sport’s biggest stage, he was released.
Getting back to the UFC, Sanchez said, “is the goal. But right now I’m focused on Jesús, on beating Jesús. That is my main focus.
“And I will beat him (tonight), and then I can take my step forward toward getting back to the UFC.”
Urbina, an El Pasoan who trains at 10th Planet Jiujitsu, is 27 — two years older than Sanchez. He has yet to reach the sport’s big leagues, and a loss tonight would be a serious roadblock toward that destination.
Any antipathy toward Sanchez, he said, stems from that.
“I’ve been preparing for this for the past eight weeks,” he said, “so now I’m ready to show what I’ve been learning recently.
“I’m just trying to get in (to the mix). It’s nothing personal against Joby, but come (tonight) you’re gonna see ... a different side of me. After that we can shake hands and do whatever we want.”
Moments, later, Urbina reconsidered. Yes, it is personal, if only because Sanchez is the person standing in his way.
“One of us is gonna take a giant leap forward in our careers, and one of is gonna back track . ... To some extent it is a little personal for both of us.”
Sanchez said he was surprised to be asked a question about the absence of a handshake.
“I didn’t think anything of it,” he said. “... It’s a fight, and I’m gonna go out there and win, and afterwards we can shake hands.”
Clearly, Sanchez is the favorite tonight. Not only does he have a better record against overall stronger competition, he’s fighting a few miles south of his hometown on a card that bears the name of the gym at which he trains.
Urbina said he has fought on an opponent’s home turf before.
“It happens,” he said. “It’s the fight game.”
All three of Urbina’s losses have come against New Mexicans — two on their home turf, one on his.
Urbina lost his pro debut by unanimous decision to Rio Rancho’s Adrian Cruz at Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino in Pojoaque. He lost by first-round TKO in just 19 seconds — bitterly disputing the referee’s stoppage of the fight — to Nick Urso, Sanchez’s Jackson-Wink teammate, at Route 66 Casino Hotel. He lost by unanimous decision to unbeaten Santa Fean Jerome Rivera, who also is on tonight’s card, in El Paso.
Urbina is coming off two victories, over Johnny Guillen (rear naked choke, first round) in Las Cruces and over Matt Betzold (unanimous decision) in Chandler, Ariz.
Sanchez’s loss by second-round TKO to Geane Herrera in December 2015 resulted in his release from the UFC. He rebounded with a victory over Martin Sandoval by second-round submission (brabo choke) in Jackson, Calif.
The Cold War continued at Friday’s weigh-in — no handshake, baleful stares.
Sanchez weighed in at 125.8 pounds, an allowable eight-tenths over the flyweight limit. Urbina weighed 124.4.