LAS VEGAS – Silvestre Sanchez had the opportunity to show off his complete game on Dana White's Contender Series, but a UFC contract may have not come his way without a late finish.
Sanchez (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) earned a UFC contract by finishing Liam McCracken in the third round. A vicious left hook floored McCracken (8-2), making his entry into the promotion a sure thing. Without that punctuation mark in the closing round, UFC CEO Dana White said he may not have awarded a contract, despite Sanchez showing off stellar skills everywhere the fight went.
Luckily, the Mexico-born lightweight got the job done and will now have the opportunity to show more of what he can do under the bright lights of the UFC, and he hopes it means more fighters from
his country will have an opportunity in the future.
"That was always a goal, to be here in the UFC since I started in mixed martial arts," Sanchez told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter during a post-fight news conference. "It's a dream come true, but also the start of hard work – and not just for myself, but also for Nayarit, because this opens the door for all the talent that's there. Maybe I've opened the door for more people from there to make a splash as well.
"... I think the UFC PI in Mexico is one of the most important hotbeds of talent in the world right now. The work that they're doing there is amazing because the level of sparring that I've had, the people on my team, the people that have worked with me, they've given me a tough challenge. You know if someone comes through Contender Series into the UFC, coming from the PI in Mexico City, you know it's someone who's ready for wars."
Sanchez proved that he is one of those fighters ready to dig deep in order to get the job done. He handed McCracken just the second loss of his pro career, snapping a five-fight, all-stoppage winning streak. In the process, Sanchez extended his own streak of wins to six, all of which have come by finish in either the first or third round.
Sanchez admits he was disappointed he couldn't finish early, but he won't complain about the end result. He'll take the lessons learned from going deep into a fight on a bigger stage and grow from it as he prepares for his UFC debut. While he doesn't have an opponent in mind for his first fight, he knows who he wants to face a some point in the future.
"Maybe not for my first fight, but eventually, King Green," Sanchez said. "It would be a great fight."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Silvestre Sanchez hopes DWCS win opens door for more 'war-ready' Mexico-born fighters
