"Our Diego Sanchez 2.0" - Dana White compares Ricky Turcios to Diego Sanchez after he wins TUF 29
![Diego Sanchez (left), Ricky Turcios (right) [Credits: @diegonightmaresanchez, @rickytucios via Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/bab70-16302250529588-800.jpg?w=500)
UFC president Dana White compared Ricky Turcios to Diego Sanchez in the post-fight press conference of the recently concluded UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs Chikadze.
White, when asked about Ricky Turcios, said:
"Yeah he's our Diego Sanchez 2.0."
Diego Sanchez won a contract with the UFC after defeating fellow finalist Kenny Florian via TKO, becoming the middleweight winner for the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Turcios and Sanchez are comparable in terms of their personas as both are known to be odd-balls with stranger than average personalities.
Ricky Turcios became The Ultimate Fighter 29 winner after defeating Brady Hiestand by split decision in the season finale. The fight was a three-round war, where both fought their hearts out to become 'The Ultimate Fighter' and earn a UFC contract.
Speaking about the fight, Dana White continued:
"He's tough, I mean those kids fought their as**es off and I'm looking forward to see what he does here...I also felt that the fight of the night should've gone to Ricky [Turcios] and Brady [Hiestand]."
Watch Dana White's full post-fight press conference below:
Ricky Turcios was the fifth pick of the bantamweight bracket for Alexander Volkanovski's team on TUF 29. 'Hadouken' secured unanimous decision victories in the quarter-finals and the semi-finals against Daniel Argueta and Liudvik Sholinian of Team Ortega, respectively.
Team Volkanovski comes out on top TUF 29 after Ricky Turcios and Bryan Battle secured finale wins
It was a great night for the Australian champion and his team from TUF 29. Ricky Turcios wasn't the only one from UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovki's team to impress at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze.
Another member of Team Volkanovski, Bryan Battle, overcame adversity in the first round to eventually secure a submission finish in the second against Gilbert Urbina from Brian Ortega's team. Battle won the middleweight bracket of the TUF 29 to become the second winner of the latest iteration of the show.