ROSEMONT, Ill. – The competitive Bellator featherweight division has seen a number of high-profile rematches, but Emmanuel Sanchez thinks it’s time for that to change. “I think a lot of these guys are probably tired of rematches and fighting each other and all this stuff, and now it’s the time for the new face of Bellator, and he’s right here right now, and it’s time for a new champion,” he said. Sanchez (17-3 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) made those comments following Saturday’s Bellator 198 co-headliner, where he scored a first-round submission victor y over former UFC fighter Sam Sicilia (16-9 MMA, 1-1 BMMA). Related Bellator 198 results: Emmanuel Sanchez submits Sam Sicilia in first round The bout, which aired on Paramount from Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., near Chicago, marked Sanchez’s second straight finish, his fourth consecutive victory, and his seventh win in eight fights. The lone hiccup during that stretch came in 2016, when he suffered a split-decision defeat to Daniel Weichel (39-9 MMA, 8-1 BMMA), who rematches Bellator featherweight titleholder Patricio Freire (26-4 MMA, 14-4 BMMA) in July at Bellator 203 .
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Bellator 198 winner Emmanuel Sanchez has a plea regarding his title hopes – MMA Junkie