Eduardo Arturo Sanchez (born November 4, 1982) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who last competed in the

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

division. A professional since 2004, he has competed for the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, Bellator,

Titan FC Titan Fighting Championship (Titan FC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion based out of Pompano Beach, Florida. Their shows were originally run in and near Kansas City and have since expanded to include venues all over North America and e ...

Final Fight Championship Final Fight Championship (FFC) is an international fighting sports promotion company founded in 2003 by the FFC owner and CEO Orsat Zovko. The company has its headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, as well as a European office in Zagreb, Croat ...

, and

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...

Background

Sanchez played baseball at San Marcos High School, excelling as a pitcher, and then continued at his career at

Palomar College Palomar College is a public community college in San Diego County, California. The main campus is in San Marcos and three centers and four education sites are located elsewhere throughout north San Diego County. The largest of these by student ...

. 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 Mirko Filipović (; born 10 September 1974), better known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a retired Croatian professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships. Cro ...

at UFC 67. Sanchez lost via TKO due to punches at 4:33 of the first round, in Cro Cop'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 Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

heavyweight Colin Robinson by TKO at

UFC 72 ''UFC 72: Victory'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place Saturday, 16 June 2007 at The Odyssey in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Background ''UFC 72'' continued the UFC's expansion into Eu ...

. At

UFC 79 ''UFC 79: Nemesis'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), that took place on December 29, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main events featured the fight ...

, held on December 29, 2007, Sanchez defeated Soa Palalei via TKO (strikes). Sanchez went on to lose to

Antoni Hardonk Antoni Hardonk (born February 5, 1976) is a Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed in K-1 and the UFC. Kickboxing career Antoni made his K-1 debut at the '' K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Preliminary Scandinavia'' on June 9, 2001 whe ...

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 Justin McCully (born February 18, 1976) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who most recently competed in the Heavyweight division of the RFA. A professional competitor since 1997, McCully has also f ...

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 2009 in Bellator MMA was the first installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started broadcasting April 3, 2009, through an exclusive television agreement with ESPN Deportes. The episodes had a one-day t ...

, recording a ten-second knock out. His next Bellator bout was scheduled against Ralph Kelly at

Bellator 20 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and m ...

. 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 Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is an eight-time world champion, having been a two-t ...

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 Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

veteran

Brett Rogers Brett Charles Rogers (born February 17, 1981) is an American former mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Rogers has fought in EliteXC, Strikeforce, and Bellator. Ba ...

at Titan Fighting Championships 20. Sanchez won by split decision.

Independent promotions

Sanchez then faced

Damian Grabowski Damian Grabowski (born May 12, 1980) is a Polish mixed martial artist who last competed in 2019. A professional since 2007, he has fought in the UFC, Bellator, Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW), and M-1 Global. Biography Grabowski is a multiple Bra ...

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 Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded ...

Vitaly Minakov Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov (russian: Виталий Викторович Минаков; born February 6, 1985, Bryansk) is a Russian mixed martial artist, sambist and judoka currently competing in the heavyweight division of Bellator MMA, whe ...

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 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** Knockout of the Night (One time) vs.

Soa Palelei Soa Palelei (born 12 July 1977) is an Australian retired mixed martial artist. A professional from 2002 until 2015, he most notably competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship and PRIDE Fighting Championships. Background Born in 1977, New ...

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 13–8 , Stjepan Bekavac , KO (punch) , FFC11: Jurkovic vs. Kaluderovic , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:07 ,

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

, Croatia , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–7 ,

, KO (punch) , Fight Nights Global 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:59 ,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–6 ,

, Submission (kimura) , MMA Attack 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:02 ,

Katowice Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popul ...

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, Decision (split) , Titan Fighting Championships 20 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–5 ,

Mike Whitehead Michael Joe Whitehead (born June 29, 1981) is a former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight weight classes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, IFL, Affliction, and Strikeforce. Mixed m ...

, Decision (split) , Pure Fighting Championships 6 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Red Deer, Alberta Red Deer is a city in Alberta, Canada, located midway on the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. Red Deer serves central Alberta, and key industries include health care, retail trade, construction, oil and gas, hospitality, manufacturing and education. ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 ,

Neil Grove Neil Grove (born 18 January 1971) is a South African-English Heavyweight professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2006, Grove has competed for the UFC, Bellator Cage Rage, UCMMA, and the SFL. Background Originally ...

, TKO (punches) ,

Bellator 24 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:32 ,

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 , Marcus Sursa , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:23 ,

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 , Mark Honneger , Decision (unanimous) , Maximo Fighting Championship , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , San Juan, Puerto Rico , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3 , Vince Lucero , Submission (guillotine choke) , Total Combat 33 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:27 ,

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3 , Jay White , KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:10 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC: Fight for the Troops , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Fayetteville, North Carolina Fayetteville () is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-America C ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–2 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC 85 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:15 ,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Colin Robinson , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:32 ,

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, Northern Ireland , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC 67 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:33 ,

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Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Wade Shipp , TKO (punches) , TC 13: Anarchy , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:32 ,

Del Mar, California Del Mar (; Spanish for "Of the Sea") is a beach town in San Diego County, California, located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Established in 1885 as a seaside resort, the city incorporated in 1959. The Del Mar Horse Races are hosted on the De ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Julian Rush , TKO (corner stoppage) , Total Combat 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Adrian Perez , Submission (punches) , KOTC 61: Flash Point , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:11 ,

San Jacinto, California San Jacinto ( ; ; Spanish for " St. Hyacinth") is a city in Riverside County, California. It is located at the north end of the San Jacinto Valley, with Hemet to its south and Beaumont, California, to its north. The mountains associated with ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 ,

Anthony Ruiz Anthony Ruiz (born November 3, 1977) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions of MMA. A professional since 2003, he has competed for Bellator MMA, Strikeforce, the W ...

, Technical Submission (triangle choke) , KOTC 54: Mucho Machismo , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:49 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Tony Towers , TKO (strikes) , Total Combat 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Eddie American male mixed martial artists American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent American sportspeople of Dominican Republic descent Heavyweight mixed martial artists 1982 births Living people People from La Jolla, San Diego People from Huntington Beach, California Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters