However, a lot of interesting things happened before the fight involving Sanchez’s cornerman/manager Joshua Fabia, UFC officials and Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) officials.
MMA Junkie reports that NAC officials first checked on Fabia after the cornerman was lighting incense in Sanchez’s shared locker room while also putting a substance in Sanchez’s nose via a q-tip, with that substance being peppermint extract.
Fabia then spoke with some NAC and UFC officials according to three people who later spoke with MMA Junkie, with Fabia telling those officials that he and Sanchez have developed a new choke that if applied, could kill Chiesa. Fabia then demonstrated the newly developed choke, which was reportedly a rip off of the Stone Cold Stunner from professional wrestling. Fabia allegedly also told those same officials that he learned the hold while serving on paramilitary groups in South America.
The bout was almost called off according to the report, but once Fabia demonstrated the move, officials deemed it unlikely to be used in a professional MMA fight and the contest moved on as planned.
Officials were reportedly so shocked by what was going on backstage that they sat both Sanchez and Fabia down to discuss sportsmanship with them.
