Introduction
Eduardo Arturo Sanchez (born November 4, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division. He has competed for the UFC, Bellator, Titan FC, and King of the Cage.
Background
Born in La Jolla, California, Sanchez is of Mexican and Dominican descent.
Sanchez played baseball at San Marcos High School, excelling as a pitcher, and then continued at his career at Palomar College. However, his career was cut short when he was injured after a near fatal drunk driving accident. Sanchez was 20 years old and driving with a friend while intoxicated. Sanchez flew through the windshield and almost had one of his legs amputated because of the injuries.
Mixed martial arts career
Ultimate Fighting Championship
On February 3, 2007, with a 1-0 promotional record, Sanchez faced Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović at UFC 67. Sanchez lost via TKO due to punches at 4:33 of the first round, in Filipović's debut fight in the UFC. Average betting for this fight was around -1200 for "Cro Cop" and +800 for Eddie Sanchez, the biggest gap for underdog/favorite in UFC history.
Sanchez defeated Irish heavyweight Colin Robinson by TKO at UFC 72.
At UFC 79, held on December 29, 2007, Sanchez defeated Soa Palalei via TKO (strikes). Sanchez went on to lose to Antoni Hardonk at UFC 85 in London on June 7, 2008. Sanchez took the Hardonk fight on short notice, as a late replacement for Neil Wain. Sanchez was noticeably out of shape at the weigh in, but despite this, he knocked Hardonk down twice, once in the first round and once in the second, before succumbing to strikes at 4:15 in the second round. Sanchez next faced Justin McCully at UFC: Fight for the Troops on December 10,2008, he lost the via unanimous decision and was released from the promotion.
Bellator Fighting Championships
Sanchez debuted for Bellator at Bellator 7, recording a ten-second knock out.
His next Bellator bout was scheduled against Ralph Kelly at Bellator 20. Kelly pulled out of the bout and was replaced by Wayne Cole. Cole then pulled out of the fight and was replaced by Marcus Sursa. Sanchez won via TKO in the third round. With this win, Eddie will take a spot in the third season heavyweight tournament.
Titan Fighting Championships
Sanchez was scheduled to fight Bobby Lashley at Titan Fighting Championships 19. But on July 22, it was announced that Lashley withdrew from the fight due to personal reasons.
Sanchez fought Strikeforce veteran Brett Rogers at Titan Fighting Championships 20. Sanchez won by split decision.
Independent promotions
Sanchez then faced Damian Grabowski at MMA Attack 2 on April 27, 2012. Sanchez was submitted via kimura at 2:02 in the second round.
The following June, Sanchez faced future Bellator Heavyweight champion Vitaly Minakov at The Battle of Moscow 7. Sanchez was defeated in the first round via KO.
After a long layoff, Sanchez eventually returned and faced Stjepan Bekavac at FFC11: Jurković vs. Kaluđerović on April 4, 2014. Sanchez was knocked out in the first round, marking his third loss in a row.
Championships and accomplishments
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Soa Palelei
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 21 matches | 13 wins | 8 losses |
| By knockout | 8 | 5 |
| By submission | 3 | 1 |
| By decision | 2 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 13–8 | Stjepan Bekavac | KO (punch) | FFC11: Jurkovic vs. Kaluderovic | April 4, 2014 | 1 | 1:07 | Osijek, Croatia | Catch weight (-98 kg). |
| Loss | 13–7 | Vitaly Minakov | KO (punch) | The Battle of Moscow 7 | June 7, 2012 | 1 | 1:59 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Loss | 13–6 | Damian Grabowski | Submission (kimura) | MMA Attack 2 | April 27, 2012 | 2 | 2:02 | Katowice, Poland | |
| Win | 13–5 | Brett Rogers | Decision (split) | Titan Fighting Championships 20 | September 23, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |
| Loss | 12–5 | Mike Whitehead | Decision (split) | Pure Fighting Championships 6 | December 10, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Red Deer, Alberta, Canada | |
| Loss | 12–4 | Neil Grove | TKO (punches) | Bellator 24 | August 12, 2010 | 1 | 1:32 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | Bellator Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal |
| Win | 12–3 | Marcus Sursa | TKO (punches) | Bellator 20 | May 27, 2010 | 3 | 0:23 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 11–3 | Mark Honneger | Decision (unanimous) | Maximo Fighting Championship | October 17, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
| Win | 10–3 | Vince Lucero | Submission (guillotine choke) | Total Combat 33 | July 11, 2009 | 1 | 0:27 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Win | 9–3 | Jay White | KO (punches) | Bellator 7 | May 15, 2009 | 1 | 0:10 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Loss | 8–3 | Justin McCully | Decision (unanimous) | UFC: Fight for the Troops | December 10, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States | |
| Loss | 8–2 | Antoni Hardonk | KO (punches) | UFC 85 | June 7, 2008 | 2 | 4:15 | London, England | |
| Win | 8–1 | Soa Palelei | TKO (punches) | UFC 79 | December 29, 2007 | 3 | 3:24 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Knockout of the Night. |
| Win | 7–1 | Colin Robinson | TKO (punches) | UFC 72 | June 16, 2007 | 2 | 0:32 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| Loss | 6–1 | Mirko Filipović | TKO (punches) | UFC 67 | February 3, 2007 | 1 | 4:33 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 | Mario Neto | KO (punches) | UFC 63: Hughes vs. Penn | September 23, 2006 | 2 | 0:17 | Anaheim, California, United States | |
| Win | 5–0 | Wade Shipp | TKO (punches) | TC 13: Anarchy | March 11, 2006 | 3 | 4:32 | Del Mar, California, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Julian Rush | TKO (corner stoppage) | Total Combat 10 | October 15, 2005 | 1 | 5:00 | San Diego, California, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Adrian Perez | Submission (punches) | KOTC 61: Flash Point | September 23, 2005 | 1 | 0:11 | San Jacinto, California, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Anthony Ruiz | Technical Submission (triangle choke) | KOTC 54: Mucho Machismo | June 12, 2005 | 1 | 2:49 | San Jacinto, California, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Tony Towers | TKO (strikes) | Total Combat 7 | January 29, 2005 | 1 | N/A | Tijuana, Mexico |