The first split-decision loss of Emmanuel Sanchez’s career may have been the catalyst for his transformation into a world title contender.
It’s not as if Sanchez wasn’t already making waves in Bellator’s featherweight division. He won six of his first seven fights for the promotion, with his lone loss coming at the hands of two-time champion Pat Curran, and looked to be one or two victories away from a title shot before running into Daniel Weichel in July 2016.
Sanchez went on to lose a split decision to Weichel at Bellator 159, a judgment that he disputes, but has learned to live with.