UFC Hall of Famer Diego Sanchez fought hard in his bareknuckle debut, but former WBA boxing champion Austin Trout was too much to handle.
At BKFC Knucklemania 3, which took place Friday at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, N.M., Sanchez continued his storied combat sports career by trying his hands in gloveless competition. Despite Sanchez’s best efforts, Trout, who was also making his bareknuckle debut, won by doctor stoppage in the fourth round of the co-main event bout.
Sanchez looked to start the fight quickly, but Trout smoothly circled away from the initial flurry, indicating he would not be drawn into an early dogfight. From there, Trout stuck and move to the body and upstairs as Sanchez found his punches just out of range of the former boxing champion.
ROUND 1!!! #KnuckleMania3 pic.twitter.com/O4n3hEDP7V
— FITE (@FiteTV) February 18, 2023
Early in the second round, Sanchez charged forward with punches, this time with more success. However, after the first few exchanges, Trout was able to regain control of the fight by leading the dance behind his right jab.
With blood flowing from cuts on his face, Sanchez continued to charge forward in the third round. Trout’s head movement continued to shine throughout the round, evading the bigger shots offered by the MMA veteran.
The first knockdown of the fight would come in the fourth round. Trout connected with a sharp left hand that sent Sanchez to the mat, but he would make the count for the fight to continue. Trout continued to connect with sharp punches, causing blood to cover Sanchez’s face. After landing more, Trout appealed to referee Dan Miragliotta to check on his opponent.
The fight was paused to bring in the ringside doctor, who decided the fight should be stopped due to the severity of the damage.
Diego is leaking blood! #KnuckleMania3 pic.twitter.com/etH6WT4Gc3
— FITE (@FiteTV) February 18, 2023
After the fight, BKFC champion Luis Palomino joined Trout in the ring to hype up a potential matchup down the road.
Is a meeting between Luis Palomino and Austin Trout next? #KnuckleMania3 pic.twitter.com/xIheEoTTWj
— FITE (@FiteTV) February 18, 2023
Sanchez, 41, has dropped his last three combat sports outings. Prior to his bareknuckle debut Friday, he lost a unanimous decision to Kevin Lee at Eagle FC 46, and ended up on the wrong end of the judges’ scorecards in his final UFC bout against Jake Matthews at UFC 253.
After concerns about concussions and neurological issues, Sanchez’s BKFC debut was approved by the New Mexico Athletic Commission after medical testing.
Trout, 37, entered as a winner of five-straight boxing contests. His last appearance in traditional boxing was in December, where he defeated Jose Charles by unanimous decision.
