INGLEWOOD, CA - JANUARY 21: Emmanuel Sanchez (blue gloves) and Georgi Karakhanya (red gloves) during their Bellator MMA featherweight fight at The Forum on January 21, 2017 in Inglewood, California. Emmanuel Sanchez won by decision. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

Emmanuel Sanchez spoke to FanSided about the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix and his first-round fight with Tywan Claxton.

Emmanuel Sanchez is no stranger to tough fights. In just his third Bellator fight he faced then-former featherweight champion Pat Curran. Three fights and three wins later, he lost a controversial split decision to former title challenger Daniel Weichel. Sanchez then reeled off four straight wins, including a finish of former champion Daniel Staus, before losing a title bid against current champ Patricio Freire.

For five years Sanchez has been swimming in the deep end of one of the sport’s most competitive divisions. Now just two weeks out from the first round of Bellator’s 16-man Featherweight Grand Prix, Sanchez is ready to dive even deeper. Ahead of him lies potentially four fights, the Bellator featherweight title, and a cool million-dollar payday.

It’s a hefty challenge, but one Sanchez embraces with unbridled enthusiasm.

“I want to be the man who won it all,” Sanchez told FanSided. “The number one out of sixteen. I want to go out and win all four of my fights and be the undisputed featherweight champion in the end. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most, to being the one who won the Featherweight Grand Prix and have the undisputed featherweight title.”

Milwaukee born, raised, and trained, Sanchez doesn’t see the tournament and its million-dollar prize as a chance to escape his humble beginnings, but rather an opportunity give back to those that have supported him along the way.

“For me, it’s not only a million-dollar payday but bringing the belt home, as well. I want my coaches to hold that thing. I want my mother to hold that thing. I want to win the title for people who support me, who have suffered and sacrificed for me.”

Humble to his core, Sanchez acknowledges the million-dollar prize dangling before him, but refuses to let that be his motivation. Yes, Sanchez is motivated to win, and of course, he’s motivated to earn life-changing money. But ultimately, he’s thankful for the opportunities he’s earned and wants to give back to his community.

“For me, it’s not just ‘hey, you’ve won a million-dollar cash prize and you’re rich.’ I see it more so as being fortunate, being blessed that I have my health and the opportunity to compete doing what I love,” he said. “To be a true humanitarian, a true ambassador of the sport — a good ambassador of the sport — is something I’m looking forward to.”

“I’d like to start a foundation, open up a gym and donate to kids who can’t afford training gear. It’s something that I love, to help people.”

Lofty goals and with altruistic motivations notwithstanding, Sanchez has a daunting task ahead. Bellator’s Featherweight Grand Prix is undeniably one of the best gatherings of talent in recent memory. On Sept. 7, Sanchez will meet the undefeated Tywan Claxton in the first round of the tournament.

“I have a great fighter ahead of me and that’s the way I see it. I don’t see it as someone I’m just walking through or past,” Sanchez said about Claxton. In terms of fight experience, Claxton with his 5-0 record is a baby compared to Sanchez (who is 18-4 as a professional).

“He’s in the tournament for a reason and that’s what excites me… The kid’s going to bring it and I’m excited to see what he brings to the table. We’ve seen how he does against other opposition. Let’s see how he does against me now. I want to go out there and showcase my skills and get the job done in the first or second round.”

Humble he may be, but don’t confuse that with a lack of confidence. Sanchez isn’t short on big fight experience, and he knows that experience will be key against Claxton.

“I see myself cracking him for sure,” he said. “I think a lot of guys in MMA are really great when they take charge when they’re the bully and they’re the favorite. But what about when all odds are against them? I bring something completely different to the table and I know I’m a horrible match-up for anybody, not just for him, but for anybody. I showcased that already against the best in the world.”

The Grand Prix roster is filled with a number of Sanchez’s former opponents. And while he’s taking Claxton seriously, Sanchez doesn’t hesitate a millisecond to name rematches he’s after. All three men that have handed Sanchez a loss in Bellator are in the tournament, and Sanchez is hungry for a chance at redemption.

“Getting that rematch against Daniel Weichel would be nice. He knows he didn’t beat me. Getting a rematch against Pat Curran would be nice because I took that fight on two week’s notice, we had been training together, and it was a little awkward. And, at the end, fighting ‘Pitbull’ [Freire], knowing that I could have stopped him in the first round and I kind of let him off the chain there. I should have kept the pitbull on the chain and put him away and thrown him in the kennel.”

Sanchez realizes that opportunities like the Bellator Grand Prix are few and far between; that’s why he cherishes the challenge. He’s in his prime now, and following one failed title bid, he knows he won’t have these opportunities ad infinitum.

“Let’s be honest, this combat sport is for young people. I’m not going to be able to do this at 45,” he said.

Indeed, the time is now for Sanchez. For five years he’s been fighting some of the best featherweights in the world, winning much more than losing. The tournament represents an opportunity to tie a bow on those five years of grinding. It’s an opportunity to earn a massive payday and give back to his community. Above all else, it’s an opportunity to achieve undeniable greatness.

Sanchez is energetic, enthusiastic, and quick with the perfect soundbite to sum up his attitude heading into the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix.

“I’m trying to make the rest of my life the best of my life and it starts with the tournament.”

Bellator 226 takes place on September 7 from San Jose, CA, and will be broadcast live on DAZN.