Frank Camacho: 'I Think Diego Sanchez Would Be An Amazing Fight'
Frank Camacho: 'I Think Diego Sanchez Would Be An Amazing Fight'
UFC fan favorite Frank Camacho discusses his exciting UFC career to-date and plans his next step in calling out a legend.
UFC fan favorite Frank Camacho boasts as many Fight of the Night awards as he does UFC fights: three.
The Guamanian-American has made a career out of putting on thrilling fights -- and at this point, one has to wonder if Camacho is even capable of delivering anything less than a thrilling scrap.
More importantly, the UFC has noticed his penchant for entertainment, which has resulted in Camacho being rewarded with three straight Fight of the Night bonuses to kick off his UFC career.
“What's so cool is that I've been doing this for so long and I really put everything I [have] into these fights,” Camacho told FloCombat. “[I] really and truly die by the sword. I'm not afraid to lose. I'm not afraid to risk it all, and that might be my downfall, but it's something that I live by and something everyone should do in life."
Although his fights are gripping, Camacho isn’t truly happy unless he gets his hand raised.
“Right now, my standing with one win and two losses in the UFC, I really need to get a win in this next one,” Camacho said. “But my style's not going to change and my mindset of fighting and winning isn't going to change. It's just so cool that people appreciate it after years of doing this.”
Most recently, Camacho extended his tradition of putting on fun fights when he faced Drew Dober at UFC on Fox 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the fight didn’t go his way on the judges' scorecards, Camacho still managed to enjoy the contest, in part thanks to his dance partner's willingness to engage.
“I thought it was a great fight Actually, I thought it was an amazing fight,” Camacho said. “I really owe it to Drew Dober for stepping up and performing. To get a 'Fight of the Night' on a card like that is amazing. Bobby Green's fight was sick, [Andre] Fili's fight was sick. There were so many great fights that night and it really takes two to tango. He delivered and I delivered.”
The judges scored the fight unanimously in favor of Dober, and although Camacho doesn’t necessarily agree, he can’t deny the fight was a close one.
“I thought I won the first round, second round he beat me up real bad, and then in the third round it was a toss-up,” Camacho said. “The saying goes in MMA, 'You never leave it to the judges.' I can't wait to get back in there next time and do my thing... I thought I won, but at the end of the day it was a very close fight.”
The fight even caused some fans to compare Camacho to the equally entertaining Robbie Lawler. However, Camacho isn’t sure if the comparisons have to do with the similar fighting styles or their similar appearance.
“First of all, I think people are comparing me with Robbie Lawler because I look like Robbie Lawler! Actually, Robbie Lawler looks like me,” Camacho said. “But back to what Drew Dober was saying in his post-fight interview, 'We weren't trying to win rounds, we were trying to finish each other, we were trying to finish the fight and we were beating each other up,' and I think that's what I bring to the game.
"I'm not trying to win rounds, I'm trying to get in your face, and I'm trying to finish you. I promise I'm trying to move my head and I promise I don't like getting hit. But I also promise I'll always give my heart and I'll always give my hardest to win the fight."
Camacho originally planned on fighting at lightweight for this fight until the offer came through at 170. Although Camacho felt good physically, don’t expect to see him at 170 again anytime soon -- unless the matchup is too good to pass up.
“Honestly, I felt pretty good," Camacho said. "It made the whole trip so enjoyable, [I] only had a couple [of] pounds to cut, I think I only had eight pounds [to lose] the week of [the fight]. But [I was] definitely a little heavier than usual. [1]55 is definitely where I need to be.
"At '55 I'm more of a stripped down racecar because at '70 I'm a little softer than usual. Either way, '55 is where I need to be but if there are good fights at '70, I'll fight anyone.”
Camacho plans to keep the bonus train rolling, with a return targeted for "April or May." Although he's not the type to normally call people out, Camacho wasn’t able to resist hitting up one of his idols for a surefire slugfest.
“I did my first ever call out. I've never done it before, I mean, I don't even know how to smack talk,” Camacho said. “I'm a huge fan of Diego Sanchez, and I think since 'The Ultimate Fighter 1' and his grit and because of what he brings, and his approach to fights, I think it could be [a] 'Fight of the Year' candidate.
"And there wouldn't be any animosity, no disrespect at all, just whole 100 percent heart and honor. I would love to share the cage with him.”
And it seems like Camacho’s not the only one who wants the fight.
I like the match up
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) January 29, 2018
“He even responded to my tweet," Camacho said. "He said, 'I kind of like this matchup' and I almost started fanboying. 'Oh my god! Diego Sanchez just replied to my tweet! Yeah!' But it would be an honor.
“I think Diego Sanchez would be an amazing fight.”