MMA-URLS

Returning to the ring following the first loss of his career, MFC fighter Diego Bautista is ready to start putting guys away. He intends to start with Sabah Fadai. Retweet this Share on Facebook • Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn

Posted in: guy, loss, diego, bautista, bull

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I've been attempting to live an internet and cable bill free life for the last three weeks and so far it hasn't been as painless as I thought it would be. At first I wasn't sure how I'd still be able to get my fill of MMA info without in home net or cable but luckily I've discovered some fantastic work arounds that have helped keep me in the in the know. Last week I discovered the wifi from my apartment complex leasing office can be borrowed from as far away as a lounge chair next to the pool. It's like I go on a mini vacation every night after work now. I just pack up my laptop, an iced coffee and some coconut oil and head over to the pool for entertainment. The pool at my complex is like my own real life variety show of entertainment. Just about every night there's at least one rudimentary street mma bout, trash talk battles akin to the short lived mtv show 'yo momma' or a spontaneous freestyle hip hop cypher session. I definitely don't need cable when I have live uncut versions of mtv, BET and Spike right in my own backyard. Rainy days, when the pool isn't open, I've taken to going through a box of old DVDs and decided to pull out the old seasons of TUF and rewatch them as a sort of refresher. Last night I finished up season one, the season that just happened to feature Diego Sanchez as one of the contenders and ultimately winner of the middleweight contract. Hard to believe Diego was at one time a big middleweight frate trane in training, because now he is talking about dropping all the way down to lightweight from his current welterweight status.   Diego talked to MMAjunkie this week about a potential drop to 155 and who he'd like to fight in his lightweight comeback fight. "The last time I was at 155, I was just a wreck. Mentally, I was still young and partying a lot, and I was still smoking weed. I was just a wild child. Now that I'm grounded and have my life together and am married, I'm just focused. So maybe 155 might be a better weight for me." Regarding Anthony Pettis: "We'll be recovering about the same time. I think he got the same surgery as me, so it'd be an even playing field. I told Dana I really liked that fight. I want to fight a guy who's a fan favorite and who has a lot of fans and is a big draw. It'd make us both better, the sport better. Plus, the guy has a win over the champ, so that'd bump me up right to the top (of the division)." Regarding Nate Diaz: "Them Diaz brothers are just scrappers. It'd be a 'Fight of the Night.' You're going to get the ground game, standup. You're going to get it all. You're going to get a real fight with a Diaz." Sanchez has already called 155 home and had a fairly successful run before he decided to move up to welterweight. He fought crazy wars with guys like Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson and won them before losing to BJ Penn in one of the bloodiest and memorable UFC battles ever. Lightweight isn't a scary unknown place for Diego and it will be fun to see him make a return to the ranks. [source]

Posted in: fight, night, diaz, pool, diego

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While healing from recent surgery, Diego Sanchez had an idea. Unable to lift weights due to shoulder surgery and slowly trimming down because of it, the current welterweight today told MMAjunkie.com Radio he's seriously considering a return to the lightweight division. And he even has a few potential matchups in mind.

Posted in: diego, sanchez, surgery, shoulder surgery, welterweight today

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UFC welterweight title contender Jake Ellenberger talks his Diego Sanchez fight and what's next for him in the the organization.

Posted in: ufc, fight, jake, diego, sanchez

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UFC welterweight title contender Jake Ellenberger talks his Diego Sanchez fight and what's next for him in the the

Posted in: ufc, fight, jake, diego, sanchez

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LAS VEGAS — After about the game's first five minutes, it became pretty clear that New Mexico was playing for something bigger than a Mountain West Conference tournament title. On the game's first possession, sophomore sniper Tony Snell curled off of a screen on the right wing and cashed a contested, fading jumper. Then he hit a 3-pointer. Then Drew Gordon completed an old-fashioned 3-point play. The Lobos were up 8-1 early, dominating on the glass and winning just about every hustle point available. They were fresher, deeper and, above all, hungrier. Thus, the 68-59 triumph over San Diego State on Saturday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center. For years, Lobos coach Steve Alford has been one of the league's more vocal coaches when it came to the supposed advantage MWC power UNLV has of holding the conference tournament in its home gym. But Alford left Las Vegas this weekend with a 27-6 record, a share of the MWC regular season title, his first conference tournament title and his second NCAA tournament berth in three years. In other words, he had nothing to be upset about. "To come here and play the way we did for three days is a remarkable feat for our young men," he said afterwards. "I couldn't be prouder of a group of guys. I've said it all year long, I think they've gone under appreciated." There was a reason for that. After being picked as the preseason favorite in a stronger than expected Mountain West, unspectacular early season losses to New Mexico State and Santa Clara, then a 1-2 start in conference play, kept them from getting much love in the national polls. Then, after they won seven straight, capped by back-to-back victories over San Diego State and UNLV in late February, they finally cracked the Top 25 rankings. Then, they lost back-to-back road games at Colorado State and TCU, thus squandering a two-game lead in the conference standings. And now they're officially back on the radar just in time for the big stage. They started their weekend by smashing an overwhelmed Air Force squad, then outlasted UNLV on Friday night in an epic, hard-fought semifinal. To end it, they had enough left in the tank to dominate San Diego State. New Mexico led the Aztecs from start to finish, and everyone contributed, as Alford flexed every piece of his 10-man rotation.

Posted in: conference, tournament, diego, state, mexico

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San Diego native UFC Ring Girl Brittney Palmer has been making a splash outside of the Octagon lately. The trained artist that has been charming viewers both during fights and interviews is the now the cover girl on the March issue of Playboy.

Posted in: palmer, brittney, diego, girl, march issue

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submitted by combatpicks [link] [comment]

Posted in: ufc, fighter, diego, sanchez, combatpicks link

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Jake Ellenberger was impressive in his Feb. 15 victory over Diego Sanchez at UFC on Fuel 1, but after a difficult third round, some questioned rather he almost ran out of gas in the fight.

Posted in: jake, ellenberger, diego sanchez, diego, sanchez

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submitted by LittleHoss [link] [7 comments]

Posted in: ufc, tv, diego, sanchez, entrance

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(When your face regularly looks this mangled after fights, perhaps 'The Dream' isn't the most fitting nickname) While the internet is busy proclaiming Diego Sanchez has passed his best before date, Greg Jackson seems slightly more positive: "We were trying to get that fire back in Diego. Get him to really push forward, get him to fake and feint, mess with his timing so we could get our entrances well and do what he did in the third round. [Sanchez] is really just getting started in his MMA career, Ellenberger is one of the top, top 170-pounders, so losing a close decision, it was two rounds to one, close decision like this, especially if we had two more rounds to work, I really don't think it hurts his career at all. He won a lot of fans with his intensity and he'll continue to do great things." Numbers may not lie but they can certainly mislead - Ellenberger boxed the snot out of Diego for two rounds and was on his way to more of the same in the third when he gave up that bad position. But Greg Jackson has proved that he can perform miracles from time to time - how else do you explain Keith Jardine's 5 year UFC career? He's also taken guys who are 'last generation' and managed to stretch their validity out a little further than it would normally go. The Joe Stevenson that Jackson retooled and brought in to fight Nate Diaz was possibly the best Joe Stevenson we'd ever seen. That didn't stop Joe from slumping afterwards and retiring. Moxie and a good gameplan will only get you so far, but between that and Diego's natural abilities he should be able to hang around in the middle of the pack for a few years to come (which is basically where we knew he fit since 2007 anyways). Longer if he stops being a BJ Penn and drops back down to 155 where he belongs.

Posted in: round, diego, joe stevenson, things numbers, dream isnt

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Diego Sanchez is a man stuck between two weight classes and he's trying to decide where his home truly lies.

Posted in: diego sanchez, diego, sanchez, weight, weight classes

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When Diego Sanchez fights, you can count on two things: he won't quit and he'll bring a touch of wackiness to the fight. This is the man who brought us the "Yes! Cartwheel" and who used the UFC video game … Continue reading →

Posted in: ufc, fight, diego, sanchez, photo

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Diego Sanchez fought a 3 round war against man of the hour, Jake Ellenberger last night in Omaha, Nebraska, and provided us with what he called a "dogfight". Their meeting won fight of the night honors and after taking a savage beating through 2 and a half rounds Diego eventually mounted some offence when he took Ellenberger's back on the ground and began raining down his trademark ground and pound. While this was a great moment for Sanchez and his many supporters, it does not signify - as many are claiming - that Diego would have gone on to win in a 5 round fight. Diego was repeatedly lit up on the feet as he ran in with his trademark flurries and many of the moments where Ellenberger counter punched Sanchez could easily have been lifted straight from the BJ Penn fight at UFC 107. Diego deserves enormous respect, he fought in front of possibly the most hostile crowd in UFC history who booed him at every opportunity, even after he had turned in a performance which was full of heart. Unfortunately he still showed all of the holes in his game that I commented on here. He still runs in with powerless flurries which either end in a predictable shot or a predictable high kick, and he still carries his lead hand down by his waste - SUICIDE for a southpaw. A good southpaw will never get jabbed, Diego seems to eat them non-stop. Additionally, while Diego has still never been knocked out, his chin is rapidly declining; the shots Ellenberger clipped him with throughout the bout made him stumble, roll his eyes or drop to his knees, while nothing that Sanchez threw on the feet even fazed Ellenberger. Where then is Diego's place in the division? Clearly he is still tough enough to hang with the up and comers, and his win over Paulo Thiago showed that he can get the better of journeymen, particularly when he can force his game down their throats. However in 4 out of his last 5 matches Diego's holes have been exposed and punished - in the Penn, Hathaway, Kampmann and Ellenberger bouts his opponents were happy to walk him down, let him charge at them and take free counter punches all day. For all the emotional and physical excuses that supporters and promoters find for Sanchez, these strategies will work against his unchanging style on his best day. Intensity has turned to predictability, and you can set your watch by when Diego is going to charge in with a 2 - 3 - high kick / takedown combination. If Diego is going to succeed in finding a place among the elite again, he is going to have to do something that he has never shown he is capable of doing before. Before every Sanchez fight we are told that his game is rapidly improving and that his hands are better than ever, but this is a flat out lie. If Diego cannot close up some of the holes in his kickboxing game and make his opponents actually afraid of his combinations again, he is unlikely to ever compete successfully in a division stacked with men who can stuff his takedown and easily edge out a win by punching whenever Diego punches. It is almost that simple to beat Diego at this stage - his head is completely upright on coming in and his chin sticks out ahead of him, almost leading the charge, Ellenberger, Penn and Kampmann could have closed their eyes, ducked and thrown a punch and they still would have gotten the better of 80% of the exchanges if Diego stuck to this. Diego Sanchez has to make a choice now - whether he wants to reinvent himself and make another run at the top 10 of either the welterweight or lightweight divisions, or whether he is happy to put on "dogfights" but come out on the losing end as often as he wins. There is likely always going to be a place for him in the UFC, his exciting style helped the UFC a lot in it's weaker years, but it will be in a Chris Lyle / Spencer Fisher / Chris Leben capacity - putting on exciting fights at the lower end of the main card. Unfortunately what Diego will likely do is write this loss off to his injured ankles, find a new motivational speaker or deity to believe in, and come back with the same massive holes in his stand up. If the UFC wants to successfully get Diego back in the win column, it is important that they give him a one dimensional Jiu Jitsu player, or a pure striker with no takedown defence. Anyone who can strike technically and defend a takedown will do exactly the same thing that 4 out of his last 5 opponents did, countering him when he runs in, and eventually the excuses about motivation and injuries will stop carrying weight Jack Slack now blogs at his brand new website www.fightsgoneby.com He can also be found on Twitter @JackSlackMMA

Posted in: ufc, fight, ellenberger, diego, sanchez

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Diego Sanchez fought a 3 round war against man of the hour, Jake Ellenberger last night in Omaha, Nebraska, and provided us with what he called a "dogfight". Their meeting won fight of the night honors and after taking a savage beating through 2 and a half rounds Diego eventually mounted some offence when he took Ellenberger's back on the ground and began raining down his trademark ground and pound. While this was a great moment for Sanchez and his many supporters, it does not signify - as many are claiming - that Diego would have gone on to win in a 5 round fight. Diego was repeatedly lit up on the feet as he ran in with his trademark flurries and many of the moments where Ellenberger counter punched Sanchez could easily have been lifted straight from the BJ Penn fight at UFC 107. Diego deserves enormous respect, he fought in front of possibly the most hostile crowd in UFC history who booed him at every opportunity, even after he had turned in a performance which was full of heart. Unfortunately he still showed all of the holes in his game that I commented on here. He still runs in with powerless flurries which either end in a predictable shot or a predictable high kick, and he still carries his lead hand down by his waste - SUICIDE for a southpaw. A good southpaw will never get jabbed, Diego seems to eat them non-stop. Additionally, while Diego has still never been knocked out, his chin is rapidly declining; the shots Ellenberger clipped him with throughout the bout made him stumble, roll his eyes or drop to his knees, while nothing that Sanchez threw on the feet even fazed Ellenberger. Where then is Diego's place in the division? Clearly he is still tough enough to hang with the up and comers, and his win over Paulo Thiago showed that he can get the better of journeymen, particularly when he can force his game down their throats. However in 4 out of his last 5 matches Diego's holes have been exposed and punished - in the Penn, Hathaway, Kampmann and Ellenberger bouts his opponents were happy to walk him down, let him charge at them and take free counter punches all day. For all the emotional and physical excuses that supporters and promoters find for Sanchez, these strategies will work against his unchanging style on his best day. Intensity has turned to predictability, and you can set your watch by when Diego is going to charge in with a 2 - 3 - high kick / takedown combination. If Diego is going to succeed in finding a place among the elite again, he is going to have to do something that he has never shown he is capable of doing before. Before every Sanchez fight we are told that his game is rapidly improving and that his hands are better than ever, but this is a flat out lie. If Diego cannot close up some of the holes in his kickboxing game and make his opponents actually afraid of his combinations again, he is unlikely to ever compete successfully in a division stacked with men who can stuff his takedown and easily edge out a win by punching whenever Diego punches. It is almost that simple to beat Diego at this stage - his head is completely upright on coming in and his chin sticks out ahead of him, almost leading the charge, Ellenberger, Penn and Kampmann could have closed their eyes, ducked and thrown a punch and they still would have gotten the better of 80% of the exchanges if Diego stuck to this. Diego Sanchez has to make a choice now - whether he wants to reinvent himself and make another run at the top 10 of either the welterweight or lightweight divisions, or whether he is happy to put on "dogfights" but come out on the losing end as often as he wins. There is likely always going to be a place for him in the UFC, his exciting style helped the UFC a lot in it's weaker years, but it will be in a Chris Lyle / Spencer Fisher / Chris Leben capacity - putting on exciting fights at the lower end of the main card. Unfortunately what Diego will likely do is write this loss off to his injured ankles, find a new motivational speaker or deity to believe in, and come back with the same massive holes in his stand up. If the UFC wants to successfully get Diego back in the win column, it is important that they give him a one dimensional Jiu Jitsu player, or a pure striker with no takedown defence. Anyone who can strike technically and defend a takedown will do exactly the same thing that 4 out of his last 5 opponents did, countering him when he runs in, and eventually the excuses about motivation and injuries will stop carrying weight.

Posted in: ufc, fight, ellenberger, diego, sanchez

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It was a main event with a multitude of high expectations last night (February 15, 2012) at UFC on Fuel TV 1 between top welterweights Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez, and it somehow managed to meet or surpass every one of them. For three straight rounds, both men battled, threatened to finish and bloodied each other up. Unfortunately it was only for three rounds, but UFC President Dana White stated he won't be making that same mistake again moving forward. Ellenberger dominated early, but how did Sanchez almost rally late? Also, what's next for both welterweight warriors? Follow me after the jump for our Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez UFC on Fuel TV 1 post-fight review and analysis: Early on, it was all Ellenberger, as he was fueled by a very receptive home crowd and a distinct technique and power advantage. He was able to get the better of every striking exchange utilizing solid movement and excellent timing. Sanchez tried to make up for his lack of technique with aggression, often bullrushing forwards with wild flurries and combinations but "The Juggernaut" did a terrific job of sidestepping most of them and landing counter punches and knees, even dropping Sanchez briefly with a beautiful straight left counter. At the end of the first round, the Nebraska native hit Sanchez with one of the hardest right hands I've ever seen and somehow "The Dream" walked right through it, practically unfazed. That had to be demoralizing for someone as powerful as Ellenberger. Round two was more of the same except this time, on top of looking to counter, Ellenberger also mixed in takedowns when Sanchez charged in wildly. He was able to bust up the Greg Jackson-trained fighter's face pretty badly and at the end of the round, he let loose with a violent display of ground and pound with some powerful elbows and punches which could have potentially ended the fight if he had more time. In the third and final round, Ellenberger was one again in control, but he wasn't quite as energetic as before. This came to bear in the final 90 seconds when he slipped while getting up from the ground and Sanchez seized the initiative, taking top position and hammering away with ground and pound from both mount and back mount. "The Juggernaut" seemed quite vulnerable here, but survived the last minute surge and got back to his feet just in time for a fun exchange of big strikes at the final horn. His domination of the first two rounds was plenty enough to earn him a unanimous decision victory with a 29-28 score on all three judges' cards. For Diego Sanchez, he simply didn't have enough time. While his skill-set and overall technique were trailing Ellenberger, he still almost came back and won the fight. That's just the type of competitor he is. He has the biggest heart, a great chin and cardio for days and that would suit him much better for five round fights. Unfortunately, this was a three round affair. With the way he finished the third, he might have been able to pull off the upset in the fourth had there been one. "The Dream" proved that you can never count him out of a fight. Sanchez hinted at a possible return to lightweight at the post-fight press conference so there's plenty of options for him at either weight class depending on where he goes next. If he stays at welterweight, a fight with Rick Story or Mike Pierce would be very interesting. If he drops to lightweight, perhaps a fight with the upcoming loser of Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis could be made. Either way, this isn't the last we've seen of Diego Sanchez. For Jake Ellenberger, he looked nearly unstoppable for about 13 minutes last night. His striking technique continues to improve, his power is as dangerous as ever and he did a great job of both countering and mixing in takedowns to keep Sanchez guessing. The big cause for concern is the final minute and a half of the fight. He looked tired, which doesn't bode well for a potential five round title fight. He also had some serious issues with his defenses while on his back. Sanchez was having his way with him at the end of that bout and that's something he can't afford to do against the top 170-pounders in the division. Regardless, he's still a major force at welterweight. If he came out healthy, I'd love to see him get a crack at interim champion Carlos Condit in a rematch as their first fight was a "Fight of the Year" candidate. Other options include the upcoming winner of Martin Kampmann vs. Thiago Alves if they don't think he's ready for his shot. So what did you think, Maniacs? Did the final 90 seconds sour you on Ellenberger at all? Do you feel he deserves an interim title shot or would you rather see Condit wait for GSP? Sound off! For complete UFC on Fuel TV 1 results, including blow-by-blow, fight-by-fight coverage of the entire event as well as immediate post-fight reaction click here, here and here.

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, round, diego, sanchez

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In case you missed the UFC on Fuel TV bout between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez, here's a highlight video to get you caught up on the action that ended up being surprisingly competitive at the end. As a bonus on the video, UFC middleweight contender Brian Stann also gives his thoughts on how his teammate performed. Since 2 minutes won't do it much justice, here's the play-by-play of the entire fight: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger - Round 1 - They fire right away and Diego lands to the legs. Huge "Jake" chant from the crowd. Body shot by Diego. They trade body kicks. Diego with two punches and Ellenberger backs up. Diego misses and Ellenberger lands a few wide punches that got mostly arm. Ellenberger lands a bit more to the arms. Nice big knee by Ellenberger. Diego closes distance and lands a few punches and Ellenberger gets out with a knee to the body. Leg kick by Jake. They end up trading big shots after Ellenberger couldn't get a takedown. Ellenberger lands a few punches and Diego drops for a second but gets back up. Ellenberger lands a huge right at the end of the round and Diego tries to fire back but the round ends. 10-9 Ellenberger. Round 2 - Spinning back kick by Diego just misses. High kick by Ellenberger is blocked. Ellenberger blocks a body kick by Diego. Left hand gets in for Diego. Left hook gets in for Ellenberger. Jab by Ellenberger. Diego lands a solid right. Diego with an overhand right that glances off the cheek of Ellenberger. Ellenberger ducks under a Sanchez punch an gets a takedown. Diego tries to attack an arm. Tries again. Big elbow by Ellenberger and a few more. 10-9 Ellenberger. Round 3 - Diego rushes forward and eats a punch from Ellenberger. Diego with a left hand. Ellenberger with a jab. Right hand by Sanchez, he tries to rush forward and Ellenberger looks for the single leg but can't get it. Head kick by Diego just misses. Knee to the body by Ellenberger. Diego is coming on a bit here and lands a hard left. Ellenberger gets a takedown and Sanchez is working to his feet. Sanchez has the back now and he is going nuts from the back. Diego is pounding away! Ellenberger manages to get out after eating a ton of shots by Sanchez. 10-9 Diego (i really want to make it 10-8 for a draw) Official Scorecards: 29-28 across the board. Jake Ellenberger wins by unanimous decision.

Posted in: jake, ellenberger, diego, sanchez, land

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Now that Wednesday's fight night experiment has come and gone, I don't think I'm alone in saying -- more please. UFC on FUEL may not have broken down any walls, but for what it was, the midweek mini-card was an undeniably entertaining fix of violence. As always, there was an abundance of news and tidbits to come out of last night's event, so catch up on everything you may have missed with the Morning Report. Oh, and Playboy released a sneak peek of Brittney Palmer's Playboy spread, if you're into that kind of thing. 5 MUST-READ STORIES TO START YOUR DAY Jake Ellenberger outlasts Diego Sanchez. Despite a near-miraculous comeback, Jake Ellenberger held off Diego Sanchez long enough to capture victory in the main event of UFC on FUEL. UFC on FUEL fight results. Between Stefan Struve's brawl with Dave Herman, and swift finishes from Jonathan Brookins and Stipe Miocic, there was plenty of action on Wednesday night's fight card. Dana White awards UFC on FUEL bonuses. Ellenberger, Sanchez, Miocic and Ivan Menjivar each left the arena $50,000 richer for their fight night performances. Jon Jones: I miss being friends with Rashad Evans. Jon Jones reflected back fondly when asked about his relationship with Rashad Evans. Sneak peak of Brittney Palmer's Playboy cover and photo shoot. Take an early (SFW) look at UFC ring girl Brittney Palmer's eight-page photospread for Playboy. MEDIA STEW In light of Jake Ellenberger's big win, it seems fitting to post some sort of fight video showcasing his skills. Since anything from the UFC is out of the question, here's "The Juggernaut" taking on Zach Light five years ago to the date. Check out the fight highlights from Stipe Miocic's brutal 'Knockout of the Night' performance against Philip De Fries. And a bonus double-dose of the Croatian, because once just wasn't enough. This time Miocic finishes off William Penn in slightly hilarious fashion. Paul Daley talks discipline and says he's sorry for sucker punching Josh Koscheck at UFC 113. (HT: MIddle Easy) There are few trainers as accomplished in MMA as Greg Jackson, so it's strangely enjoyable to watch Jax do his thing while he demonstrates the omoplata and ground n' pound 101 on Shinya Aoki. (HT: DSTRYR SG) Classic Sanchez. What else would you expect from a Japanese UFC 144 ad? One question: the Zangief guy in the back is supposed to be Dana White, right? (HT: Bloody Elbow) Good to see the DC athletic commission is hip to the kids and their mix marshal arts. (via @macdanzigmma) Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Nick Diaz. Diego Sanchez won regardless what the judges think that's what the fight showed ! — nick diaz (@nickdiaz209) February 16, 2012 Sad night for old Jake E had this been real shit he would be dead! — nick diaz (@nickdiaz209) February 16, 2012 Besides the loss, I'd say the debut of Sasquatch went over pretty well. I didn't know you were allowed to fight in a sweater...of hair #ufconfueltv — Patrick Healy (@BamBamHealy) February 16, 2012 Is that teen wolf? — Dana White (@danawhite) February 16, 2012 I can't believe Herman stole my beard lol — Johny Hendricks (@JohnyHendricks) February 16, 2012 I like David Hermans sweater he's wearing.....is that cashmere? #ryanjimmo — Ryan Jimmo (@RyanJimmo) February 16, 2012 After over a decade of grinding to get in the UFC, this happened. Tough break for Sean Loeffler. Sean Loeffler twisted his ankle warming up so the fight had to be pulled. twitter.com/danawhite/stat… — Dana White (@danawhite) February 16, 2012 FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS Announced yesterday (Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012): N/A FANPOST OF THE DAY Today's FPOTD belongs to BE reader Jack Slack: The Downfall of Diego Sanchez. A quick look through Diego Sanchez's successful fights reveals his modus operandi; the man is an animal, constantly moving forward and swarming on opponents with punches until he gets them to the mat where his effective ground and pound and slick Jiu Jitsu can be utilized. One of Diego's best matches was his defeat of Nick Diaz, in which he would throw some big punches, then literally dive at the much taller man's legs. Once he got Diaz to the mat, Diego was relentless, stacking Diaz up in guard and dropping from his feet back to his knees with huge elbows. While Diaz was never in danger of being stopped, it is certainly the most ineffectual we have seen his guard look. However, against B.J. Penn, Diego Sanchez shot 27 takedowns, succeeded in none, and was pounded on the feet constantly. Now B.J. Penn is a marvelous athlete, but to write off his natural abilities as the reason he could do this to Sanchez when other great athletes like Nick Diaz couldn't is just downright moronic. B.J. fought the perfect gameplan against Sanchez, which from the get go seemed to be about pressure. Throughout the fight B.J. Penn backed Diego on to the cage, but instead of leading, waited for Diego to charge him. When Diego did charge, B.J. would take one or two shuffles back to avoid the first attack, slip the second and counter - and it worked. Every time. Found something entertaining, brutal, or bizarre you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Send it to @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diaz, diego, sanchez

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Diego Sanchez overcame a severe ankle sprain just three weeks prior to UFC on Fuel TV 1, but says there was no way he was backing out.

Posted in: week, diego sanchez, diego, sanchez, ankle sprain

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$50,000 bonuses: Fight of the Night: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger Knockout of the Night: Stipe Miocic Submission of the Night: Ivan Menjivar

Posted in: night, jake, diego, sanchez, bonus

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In the weeks leading up to their pivotal welterweight scrap, Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger promised a dogfight that would rival the early candidates for ‘Fight of the Year.' On Wednesday night, they delivered on that promise. Sanchez and Elllenberger unleashed a wild three-round affair at the main event of UFC on FUEL, delighting the Omaha crowd with a number of furious exchanges and a late swing in momentum that almost saw "The Dream" steal the show. In the end, Ellenberger may have emerged the victor, pocketing a unanimous decision (29-28, x3) to the glee of his hometown crowd, but the result was not without its critics. As Bruce Buffer tallied off the judges scorecards, a flood of professional fighters took to Twitter, sounding off on everything from the lack of five rounds to cries for a draw. Surprisingly, even the usually Twitter-adverse Nick Diaz let his opinion be known, and needless to say, it was everything you'd expect. Diego Sanchez won regardless what the judges think that's what the fight showed ! — nick diaz (@nickdiaz209) February 16, 2012 Sad night for old Jake E had this been real shit he would be dead! — nick diaz (@nickdiaz209) February 16, 2012 Why wasn't that 5 rds.??? When did they stop doin that — Joseph Benavidez (@JoeJitsu) February 16, 2012 "@baggersapparel: @KSOSufcsick....... Fight...!!!!"last 2 min were rough — Krzysztof Soszynski (@KSOSufc) February 16, 2012 I think diego and ellenburger are gonna take my fotn bonus hahaha those guys are warriors — john albert (@UFCPrinceAlbert) February 16, 2012 DRAW !!!!!!!!!!!!!1! Sanchez vs Ellenberger #UFConFuel — Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) February 16, 2012 Ellenberger won rounds 1,2 . Diego was winning 10-9 landing big before he took Jakes back. He took (cont) tl.gd/fukk9m — Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) February 16, 2012 "@TomKongWatson: I'm confused I thought all @ufc main events were 5 round fights now?"that's what I thought!!! — Kyle Noke (@KyleNoke) February 16, 2012 Diego Sanchez is a whack job!!!! talented but bat s**** crazy — Brian Rogers (@BRogthePredator) February 16, 2012 Y wasn't this 5 rounds? — Luke Rockhold (@rockholdMMA) February 16, 2012 Diego makes a lot of excuses but his fights always put a smile on my face! He should never b cut, I think I saw him growling at one point! — Luke Rockhold (@rockholdMMA) February 16, 2012 Ellenberger by UD IMO — Chris Camozzi (@ChrisCamozzi) February 16, 2012 What a scrap #UFConFUEL — Jason High (@KCBanditMMA) February 16, 2012 3rd rnd 10-8 Sanchez, tie fight 28-28 #ryanjimmo — Ryan Jimmo (@RyanJimmo) February 16, 2012 WWWOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!!!Diego Sanchez got HEART!!!! — Adam Schindler (@Schindiggity) February 16, 2012 Think the @Ufc fight should of been 5 rounds! Great main event to do so — Jeremy Stephens (@LiLHeathenMMA) February 16, 2012 The question is do u score the last Rd10-8, if u did Sanchez escapes with a draw — todd moore (@TMooreMMA) February 16, 2012 Diego Sanchez always great to wach — Vitor Vianna (@VitorViannaMMA) February 16, 2012

Posted in: ellenberger, diego, sanchez, february, mdash

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If we can take one thing away from UFC on Fuel 1 it's this: thank God for Photoshop. Tonight Diego Sanchez lost to Jake Ellenberger in a wild and bloody three round decision, but the real star of the show was Diego's silver crucifix which he used to ward off any evil doers in his path on the way to the octagon. First it was the 'YES!' cartwheel, now it's the crucifix walkout. Diego Sanchez is an MMA meme machine. Here's the internet's collected reaction to Diego's religiously intense walkout: Then the UG got it's hands on a Diego screen cap. Huge props to Brian Rule, inf0, Ranier Wolfcastle and epwar on the UG for the images. Incredible. [Source]

Posted in: jake ellenberger, diego sanchez, diego, walkout, religous walkout

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Jake Ellenberger was dominant in the first two rounds, then had to survive a late rally from Diego Sanchez to win the main event at UFC on Fuel TV in Omaha.

Posted in: jake, diego sanchez, diego, sanchez, fuel tv

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I'll get to giving Jake Ellenberger his credit in a few minutes, but first I have to ask the most important question of the evening: Why was the main event between Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez not five rounds? We were told that Diego was a win away from a title shot and we know that Ellenberger is in the proverbial "mix" at the top of the division. I fail to see how this fight didn't deserve the same treatment as all other main event fights between contenders. We were robbed of the drama of a final two rounds between two men who were putting on a great show and should have been proving their ability to go five rounds and be ready to be fully in the conversation for a title shot. Ellenberger deserved the win, but I think rounds four and five would have proved a lot about both men and their readiness for a shot at Carlos Condit. Update: As soon as I hit publish, Dana White said at the press conference that they blew it and the main event should have been five rounds and they will be in the future. On to the notes from the evening: Jake Ellenberger looked great for the majority of the first two rounds. He is one of the few fighters where moving around the cage is actual solid and legitimate footwork, not just walking in different directions. His movement sets up his strikes and he transitions from movement to sitting down with power on his punches beautifully. He is worthy of a shot at Carlos Condit over the summer and that's a fight that the UFC should look to make. Diego could have mentally broken as the fight seemed to slip away, but in round three it was Diego looking to make something happen from the opening bell. He was getting the better of striking exchanges in the third and Jake got the takedown but Diego was able to take advantage of a small mistake and get dominant position and fire away with strikes. It was a bit short of a 10-8 round, but Diego made sure that he put on a performance that keeps him as a viable top-end fighter at 170 pounds. Ellenberger became the last fighter on the night to not understand that when Jon Anik asks what you want next, that they want a soundbyte to use hyping up a future fight. Calling out Condit in front of a ravenous fanbase would have been a great moment. Bust out a "you know I won the first time" or something. Hype up a fight and make fans want to see it. Stefan Struve remains one of my favorite fighters on the planet. He is flawed enough to make fights exciting, but good enough to pull out wins in exciting fashion. For all of Struve's faults, Dave Herman is just as flawed and even more vulnerable to allow other men to exploit those flaws. And that's exactly what happened as Struve managed to find his rhythm in the second round and use combinations to drop him, get mount and finish. More after the jump... SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV Ronny Markes looked good, but for some reason I'm still not a big fan. His toughness getting through being blasted by Aaron Simpson in the first round was commendable, but I'm still waiting to see just a little more from Markes before I'm ready to really jump on that bandwaggon. Philip De Fries pushes his punches so much that getting into a firefight with Stipe Miocic was destined to end poorly. Miocic's striking is not as good as advertised due to the (almost always pointless) "golden gloves champion" title, but he has more snap on his punches so he was able to finish him off. T.J. Dillashaw put a beating on Walel Watson that was simultaneously dominant and disappointing. While Dillashaw put a beating on Watson, he wasn't able to get a finish despite constant dominant position, it left a bit to be desired even while being impressive. Poor Ivan Menjivar and John Albert. Those two had a fantastic one round battle that Menjivar won with a rear naked choke but it was so early in the broadcast that it was basically forgotten by the main event, and the main event was a better fight anyway. But those guys deserve credit for going out and putting on a fun show in the broadcast opener. Jonathan Brookins is a legit talent. He was able to survive some early good moments by Vagner Rocha, take advantage of getting mount and then show real killer instinct. I think the next two years are going to show some real growth on the part of Brookins as he establishes himself. I'd rather not talk about Justin Salas against Anton Kuivanen. I though that fight was horrible. Tim Means looked really impressive in his fight against Bernardo Magalhaes in the show opening bout. I think Magalhaes should be released on this performance, but Means was very solid in using the knees and combination striking that just dominated Magalaes.

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, round, event, diego

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There's a term that gets used in this sport a lot called "evolution". Earlier today in fact, Jack brought up the de-evolution or over-evolution of Rampage Jackson into a mostly one-dimensional fighter. Throughout the past few years, we've witnessed Diego Sanchez roar into the octagon 17 times, and 17 times it's been pretty much exactly the same Diego Sanchez. It got him some measure of success - he won TUF1, and got a title shot at lightweight, but ever since then, real success has eluded him. It's easy to say that B.J. Penn took his soul, but that's just a fun meme. What's really happened is that the top levels of the division are just better than Diego Sanchez. Diego hasn't added anything to his arsenal since 2005 and it's gotten painfully clear that if he ever wants to find success in this sport in the small time that he has left, he needs to change, and fast. I don't mean finding Jesus and renouncing weed, because quite frankly in my opinion, it's just going all-in from one addiction to another. He can be a sucker for women, weed, booze, religion or whatever he wants, but unless he starts really incorporating some MT, BJJ and better technical boxing, he's going to fail to those that out-physical him. Personally, I think his best chance for success is to drop back down to lightweight where his size-disadvantage becomes an advantage. At 170, he sports a muffin-top and sports an 0-3 record since 2007 to Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and Jake Ellenberger - three people who are just better MMA wrestlers than he is. To be quite honest, I don't think he will ever be a champion in the UFC, and if his dream is to truly have gold around his waist, he needs to swim in shallower waters. That said, I'm going to assume that he continues to fight in the UFC, he probably won't ever change up his style, regardless of the losses, and will never be more than a gatekeeper. Perhaps he goes and proves me wrong, but personally, I think that unless he wants to stop having broken parts in his face, he needs to seriously change his stubborn style, fight lesser competition, or just hang them up.

Posted in: sport, diego, sanchez, i dont, success

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UFC on FUEL 1 takes place later tonight at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. The event airs live on FUEL TV at 8pm ET/5pm PT. The broadcast will be preceded by a prelim special on Facebook and FUEL.tv at 6:20pm ET/3:20pm PT. In the main event, Diego Sanchez takes on Jake Ellenberger in a welterweight bout. In the co-main event, Stefan Struve meets Dave Herman in a heavyweight match-up. Ronny Markes takes on Aaron Simpson in a middleweight bout. Philip De Fries and Stipe Miocic face off in a heavyweight match-up. T.J. Dillashaw and Walel Watson square off a bantamweight contest. Results, recap and bonuses after the jump. Results Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman Ronny Markes vs. Aaron Simpson Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson John Albert vs. Ivan Menjivar Jonathan Brookins vs. Vagner Rocha Sean Loeffler vs. Buddy Roberts Anton Kuivanen vs. Justin Salas Bernardo Magalhaes vs. Tim Means Recap & Thoughts Bernardo Magalhaes vs. Tim Means: Anton Kuivanen vs. Justin Salas: Sean Loeffler vs. Buddy Roberts: Jonathan Brookins vs. Vagner Rocha: John Albert vs. Ivan Menjivar: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson: Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic: Ronny Markes vs. Aaron Simpson: Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger: Bonuses $??? Submission of the Night: Knockout of the Night: Fight of the Night:

Posted in: vs, diego, herman, stipe, simpson

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The UFC on Fuel TV is headlined by a welterweight clash between The Ultimate Fighter O.G. Diego Sanchez and brick-fisted wrestle-boxer Jake Ellenberger. On the groundbreaking premiere of TUF, Diego Sanchez (23-4) was pretty hard to miss. Amidst the alcohol-fueled shenanigans of pillow-spritzing and rampant vandalism, Diego would be the fella peacefully meditating in his room or out in the parking lot doing Yoga in a thunderstorm to harness the lightning. Before appearing on the show, Sanchez had already constructed an undefeated, eleven-fight record and a strong rep as a legit up-and-comer in King of Cage, where he'd just snared the promotion's welterweight championship. In his early days, Sanchez was one of the rare few who excelled in both wrestling and submission grappling, commonly devouring his opponent with explosive double-legs and showering them with ground and pound or snatching power-subs like kimuras and lion-killers from dominant positions. He always exuded what would eventually become his trademark style, which is battling at a frenzied pace with heaps of unending aggression. He tidied up Alex Karelexis and Josh Rafferty with first round rear-naked chokes, dotted up standout wrestler Josh Koscheck with ground strikes and then hammered an undersized Kenny Florian by first round TKO to become, along with light-heavyweight Forrest Griffin, the first "Ultimate Fighter." Having competed on the show as a middleweight, Sanchez returned to welterweight and rattled off five impressive victories: he forced Brian Gassaway to tap to punches, earned the judges' nod over John Alessio, engaged in ultra-entertaining decision wins over top-caliber welterweights Nick Diaz and Karo Parisyan and demonstrated improved striking with a stiff right hook and flying knee to vanquish Joe Riggs. Sanchez would be handed consecutive defeats from Team AKA, as Josh Koscheck dabbed him up with a sprawl and brawl strategy for a unanimous vote and Jon Fitch out-hustled him in a tight split-decision. Diego bounced back with two stoppages (David Bielkheden, Luigi Fioravanti) before setting his sights on the lightweight division. Two exciting and competitive decision wins later (Joe Stevenson, Clay Guida) and Sanchez found himself facing alpha-lightweight B.J. Penn for the title. Ascending to the highest point of his career would once again result in falling back down, as Penn battered him for a TKO in the fifth and John Hathaway spoiled his return to 170-pounds with a convincing decision defeat. Sanchez has since notched two in a row, both action-packed decisions, over Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann. More UFC on Fuel TV Dissections Struve vs. Herman | Simpson vs. Markes | Miocic vs. De Fries | Dillashaw vs. Watson | Facebook Prelims Jake "The Juggernaut" Ellenberger (26-5) is a clean cut, former Marine who's built like a fire hydrant. He wrestled at the Division II University of Nebraska at Omaha and, despite beginning his MMA training that very same year, produced an undefeated nine-fight clip in 2005 -- which is an astounding pace for a first-year fighter. He extended that streak with three more wins in 2006 and, even more impressively, finished every opponent with an unsettling aura of violence (nine via strikes with three submissions). No longer an unknown fighter, Ellenberger dabbled with his first taste of upper-echelon welterweights and hit a rough stretch of road, splitting his next six with losses to Jay Hieron, Derrick Noble (who would eventually fight in the UFC) and submission specialist Delson Heleno, who is the only fighter to this day to finish Ellenberger (armbar). Lemons became lemonade, as Ellenberger won six of his next seven that included a vicious KO over Vale Tudo legend Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons and a decision over crafty grappler and current Strikeforce fighter Pat Healy, with another UFC-level adversary accounting for his sole loss (Rick Story). He faced former WEC champion Carlos Condit in their mutual Octagon debuts at and flattened him twice in the first round. Condit showed amazing resilience and battled on, eventually turning the tide in later rounds and winning a split-decision that could've gone either way. Ellenberger has cut a five-fight swathe since then, scorching four by knockout (Mike Pyle, John Howard, Sean Pierson and the tank-chinned Jake Shields) along with a split-decision over Carlos Eduardo Rocha; a decision plagued by one utterly unfathomable score card. Gifs and analysis in the full entry. SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV Though these are older gifs from the Riggs encounter back in 2006, this marked a pivotal stage of Diego's evolution because he'd seemed to have rounded out his ground-oriented strategy with a fierce striking game. And this is definitive evidence of that: his stance, balance, defensive guard and punching form shows substantial improvement here. Some fighters drift away from their raw ferocity when developing finesse and more polished technique, but Sanchez sprinted across the cage and went airborne with a highlight-reel-worthy flying knee to conclude the sequence to the right. However, sculpting your fundamentals to a more adequate level is not the same thing as being a good striker at the UFC level. Really, if you gather up all of Sanchez's past performances in the Octagon, his entire strategy consists of charging forward with a blinding series of looping rights and lefts and then dropping levels for a double leg against the cage. He wins when it works and loses it when it doesn't. This trend first materialized against Alessio, who was expected to be trounced but nearly upset Sanchez. After Alessio, Koscheck devised an intelligent sprawl and brawl that consisted of avoiding the wild bull-rush, anticipating the takedown that always followed it and lancing tight punches through his permeable defense. Don't get me wrong -- there will always be a place for primal and unbridled aggression in MMA and the plan was (and, at times, is still) effective, but I don't think it's too far-fetched to isolate this approach as highly predictable and the catalyst for his UFC losses. Kampmann attended to this habit well on most fronts but still allowed himself to be contained on the fence and take punishment. Ellenberger has never been the kind of guy to dance deftly out of range while flicking out a few mediocre-powered counters, so the Machida-esque strategy is out. He absolutely has, however, the medley of wrestling and striking to formulate the perfect antidote for Sanchez, along with Goliath punching power and an impenetrable chin to boot. He is also the type that happily embraces down-and-dirty, in-your-face warfare, which lends scintillating appeal to this match up. Prior to meeting Ellenberger, Shields had lost just once by TKO, which was in his third pro-fight in 2000. As opposed to back pedaling, Ellenberger thrives in the role of being an assertive counter puncher. His intentions are to hold his ground, calculate his opponent's tendencies and map out the best trajectory in which to stream his rocket-fueled fists directly into their jaw. He's accomplished this with both his left and right hands along with the brutal knee he finished Shields with, making him a multi-dimensional knockout threat with excellent timing, instincts and accuracy. Once he holds his ground and makes a statement that he won't retreat, Ellenberger is even more of a head-hunter when moving forward. When he's countering, he takes a little mustard off his punches so he can maintain balance and stay light on his toes, which allows him to fend off takedowns and cut angles to counter. When he's on the attack, he spools up sickening power and throws everything into his hands. That's what we see to the left against Condit, who protects his right side well when throwing the knee, but not so much with the left side. Overall, I can't help but see this as a horrible match up for Sanchez. Ellenberger has never been knocked out, he's the more credentialed and accomplished wrestler and he has more power and better technique on the feet. Plus, he's a purple belt himself, which leaves only a narrow advantage for Diego in his other specialty of scrambling and grappling transitions. I don't see many ways that Diego can impose his will, as I think Ellenberger will oblige a brawl, but will not do so in a stationary position against the cage where Diego is most effective. I'd take Ellenberger by decision in a three-rounder, but five should be enough for him to land a big bomb and finish with damage or pounce with a stream of leather to elicit an intervention from the ref. My Prediction: Jake Ellenberger by TKO. Poll Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger Sanchez Ellenberger   0 votes | Results

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, fighter, diego, sanchez

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On Thursday in Atlanta, Jon Jones and Rashad Evans will share the same stage in an event designed to kick off UFC 145 ticket sales. The two have become the posterboys for the teammate vs. teammate debate which has slowly simmered to a boil over the last few years. As supercamps continue to expand, there is no end in sight to the problems that will be caused by top divisional fighters nearing the top and a potential collision course.But the difficulties don't stop there. What if, beyond teammate vs. teammate, there is an extra element added into the mix? Take for instance a situation that is brewing in the UFC's welterweight division. At Wednesday night's UFC on FUEL event, Diego Sanchez is facing Jake Ellenberger in the main event. If Sanchez wins, he could possibly vault to the front of the division, setting up a potential bout with his teammate, interim champion Carlos Condit.To make matters more complicated, both Sanchez and Condit have their careers overseen by the same manager, Malki Kawa, which means he will be placed into a situation where he must lobby for a Sanchez title shot while protecting Condit's best interest as the interim belt holder. On its surface, those two scenarios seem at best diametrically opposed and at worst a conflict of interest. But Kawa disagrees, saying the situation will work itself out."The best way to answer it is very simple," he recently told MMA Fighting. "They're both guys who are in the gym, who see each other on a daily basis, who both live in New Mexico. So it's not like they haven't discussed this or aren't going to be able to discuss this. But what I think about that situation is, when Diego Sanchez wins this fight, my job is to put him in position as the No. 1 contender. That's the way I look at it with every one of my clients. My job is to get him his title shot."On the other hand, if I have a client that is the champ, and he says to me, 'I'm not interested in that fight, I want to move on and look for a fight with say, Georges St. Pierre,' considering that client is the champion, he owns all the cards in the deck," he continued. "He's the one that has the preference. [The UFC] is going to decide based off of him. If he says we fight Sanchez in the interim, let's fight. It's not going to be my decision of what they do. I can only advise both of them independently of the other."That could still leave a high-pressure environment for both members of Team Jackson-Winkeljohn. Consider a scenario where Sanchez wins impressively and is declared the top contender, only to see Condit decide he's going to wait until the end of the year to face St. Pierre. Condit is certainly well within his rights to do so, but couldn't that decision lead to resentment? After all, both Condit and Sanchez have already said they'd have no issue fighting each other."We both want the same thing, and that's UFC gold," Sanchez said on a recent edition of The MMA Hour.If that is the case, and one party is willing to fight and the other isn't, that doesn't sound like a comfortable situation for either of them. Neither does it sound like an easy road to navigate for Kawa. To be fair, boasting too many contenders in your stable is the type of problem many managers only wish they could have. But imagine fielding a call from one client asking what your other client is going to do. It's all one big game of dominos, one simple decision affecting everything else behind it."If Diego wins this fight, I'm going to push for Diego to be No. 1 contender and next in line for the championship," Kawa said. "I'm not going to go back to Carlos and convince him to fight one guy or another. I'm going to explain to him what his options are, what's in his best interests financially, fight-wise and career-wise. And if he says, 'I think you're wrong, or I want to wait for Georges or I want to fight Diego or Ellenberger,' it will ultimately be his decision at the end." Condit has already done that once, deflecting Kawa's advice to decline a rematch with Nick Diaz before Diaz's failed drug test scuttled those plans.The funny thing is, if Sanchez wins and is declared No. 1 contender, tension is likely to build regardless of the decision Condit makes. If he declines the fight, Sanchez certainly wouldn't be thrilled. And even if Condit does agree to fight him, you're faced with a situation where the camp is split in half. At least Evans made a clean break from the New Mexico team in order to fight Jones; for a possible Condit-Sanchez fight, it's just the loyalties that are likely to be divided.Winning might seem like enough for Sanchez on Wednesday night, but it creates a wave that will lead to ripples. From that point, there will be no easy answers as a manager and his two fighters attempt to navigate two separate courses towards the top. Condit and Sanchez both have the same dream. What happens when they intersect at the same point? You don't have to know the inner dynamics of fight camps to realize that when mutual aspirations collide, there is bound to be some collateral damage.

Posted in: fight, diego, sanchez, condit, situation

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A look at UFC's February slate of three cards. The shows keep rolling out.

Posted in: ufc, jake, diego, sanchez, february

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FUEL TV’s Ariel Helwani talks to Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger about their headlining fight tomorrow night at UFC on FUEL 1.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, jake, diego sanchez, diego, fuel

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The UFC’s inaugural main event on Fuel TV will go forward as planned, as both Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger hit their marks at Tuesday’s weigh-ins.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, diego sanchez, diego, fuel tv, ufc ’s

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"The worst time of my life" We've already heard Diego Sanchez cry wah wah about how forsaking Jesus in lieux of weed ruined his life and screwed up his fighting career. It's VERY IMPORTANT that everyone understand it was this that caused him to stumble. It has NOTHING to do with him hitting a ceiling while the competition continues to grow stiffer. Here he is warning others not to fall down a dark path of rockstar partying and indiscriminate sex with models. He said watching "The Ultimate Fighter 1" coach and former champ Chuck Liddell was a lesson in how a fighter could live his life at the razor's edge and get away with it."I got sold that when I was young, watching Chuck rise to the top," Sanchez said. "It was no secret that that guy was partying hard, and I thought, 'I could do it, too.' It took me down a bad path."That path wasn't just about the people he was hanging around with, but the lifestyle he was embracing that prompted him to drown his sorrows in alcohol and marijuana. After a loss to then-lightweight champ B.J. Penn at UFC 107, he continued to slide. A friend hustled him out of more than $200,000 in an investment scheme. He fought John Hathaway at UFC 114, broke, and lost a decision. And he kept going. Even when he turned things around in late 2010 and won a decision over Paulo Thiago, he was apparently still hurting."I got so deeply addicted to the partying, the false reality dream that's sold to America through the entertainment industry, through the hip-hop rappers who go out there and (say), 'I want to 'f' every girl in the world; let's party like a rock star,'" Sanchez said. "It's in the movies, it's in the entertainment industry, and it's not the life." MMA Fighting has more on Diego trying to Chuck it up, and the kind of messed up stuff you end up dealing with when you're surrounded by psycho starf*ckers: read more

Posted in: life, diego, sanchez, chuck, entertainment industry

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Diego Sanchez hopes to follow in the footsteps of Carlos Condit by pulling off an upset and spoiling a matchup UFC fans were already eyeing.

Posted in: ufc, brydon, diego, sanchez, carlos condit

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Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger meet in tomorrow night’s main event at UFC on FUEL 1.

Posted in: ufc, jake ellenberger, jake, diego, sanchez

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [comment]

Posted in: diego, sanchez, nightmare, mattyblayze link, moments dreams

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This Wednesday, Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger will face off in a fight that may determine who the top ranked contender is in the UFC’s welterweight division. While some people may sleep on this fight because it’s a midweek card and does not feature a “glamour” name in the main event, I would implore you, the reader, not to be one of those fans.  Between the two fighters they have captured five “Fight Night Bonuses, with Sanchez raking in four of those, including two

Posted in: fight, jake ellenberger, diego, sanchez, event i

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In the main event of tomorrow night's (Wed., Feb. 15, 2012) UFC on Fuel TV 1 event in Omaha, Nebraska, Diego Sanchez returns to take on top welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger. A title shot isn't officially on the line but a win certainly puts one of the two in prime position to contest for the division crown much sooner rather than later. Sanchez is pumped and ready for challenge, especially considering his opponent is one he finds easy to get up for: "It really gets me excited to know I'm going in there with someone who's going to go in there and try to take my head off. I love these kind of fights, that's why I signed up." Ellenberger essentially feels the same and is looking forward to tangoing with the always unpredictable "Nightmare:" "Fights are very unpredictable, especially against a guy like Diego Sanchez. I'm not really sure where this fight's going to go but I'm looking forward to it." It's a race to the center of the Octagon, Maniacs, with 170-pound glory on the line. Who takes it when these two powerful warriors meet inside the cage?

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, diego, sanchez, fights thats

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A controversial loss to Carlos Condit in 2009 altered Ellenberger's career path, but he's still focused on what lies ahead.

Posted in: jake, ellenberger, diego, carlos condit, he

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OMAHA, Neb. - There will be a page in Diego Sanchez's life story that's marked by a long, black smudge. This is the time from late 2009 to early 2011 where whatever internal rudder he had in place was thrown so out of whack that he returned to God with more fiery dedication than ever. The time he became addicted to drugs and women and the lifestyle of a famous fighter. Sanchez is clean now, and he talks about his next opponent, Jake Ellenberger, as the kind of guy who will bring out his best.

Posted in: time, diego, sanchez, omaha neb, fighter sanchez

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After hitting rock bottom, Diego Sanchez has placed his life on solid footing as he readies for Jake Ellenberger.

Posted in: diego sanchez, life, diego, sanchez, ufc dream

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We don't often hear about the perils of life outside the cage as a UFC star, but Diego Sanchez has become firmly established as one of MMA's great cautionary tales. A recent article on Sanchez, who fights Jake Ellenberger this Wednesday at UFC on Fuel TV, discusses several of the issues that saw Diego hit near rock bottom. Via Ray Hui and MMA Fighting: "I got sucked real deep into the fame and the money," Sanchez said recently on The MMA Hour. "I was a bachelor and I got sucked into a bad life of partying. I got really into smoking weed, drinking, partying. After my Clay Guida fight, I went down a bad path, man. It was just not a good path. After my loss to B.J. Penn it just got worse. I got really out of control." ... "To make it worse, one of my best friends completely robbed me blind...Set me up and embezzled me for about $150,000." ... "In February of 2010, I had hit rock bottom, completely. I was broke. I was down and out, man," Sanchez recalled. "This guy had run me dry. The money had I set away to pay taxes, I was $230,000 in debt with the I.R.S." Sanchez also talks about being lied to by a woman who said that her child was Diego's. After years of raising the child as his own, it turned out that Diego was not the baby's father. I wrote about this last August, but even guys like Manny Pacquiao, who make millions of dollars per fight, are basically going broke. His trainer, Freddie Roach, said that Manny burns through money at an incredible rate because of his political "career" as well as his basically supporting a small army of hangers on who he flies everywhere with him, puts them up in hotels, pays for all of their expenses and so on. As I said then, it's easy for fans to scoff and talk abut how they would never have problems if they made the money professional athletes pull. But, if it were really that simple would we see it happen over and over again to these athletes. Fame comes to these people at a young age or it comes to people who didn't have much growing up and they aren't really fully equipped to handle it. Diego says that he has now "put everything in god's hands." But I can only hope that he also put some of it in the hands of better mortal advisers so that he ends up with a nice life ahead of him.

Posted in: money, diego sanchez, diego, sanchez, rock bottom

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submitted by TallNStall [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: legend, diego, sanchez, head, downfall

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Diego Sanchez might have changed his nickname from "Nightmare" to "Dream," but the UFC welterweight hasn't changed his tone about a former foe.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, diego, sanchez, tone, choice words

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Diego Sanchez will forever be remembered as one of the most exciting fighters in early Zuffa years of the UFC, his mix of incredible cardio and borderline fool-hardy grit ensure that almost all of his fights have been a spectacle to behold. Of late though, Sanchez is coming off of two hard losses to John Hathaway and BJ Penn, a journeyman quality win in Paulo Thiago, and an extremely questionable victory over Martin Kampmann which exposed more holes in his game than it did return him to form. So what happened to the Diego Sanchez that swarmed all over Nick Diaz and won our hearts on the Ultimate Fighter with his bizarre personality and real world fighting skills? Diego Sanchez struggles with distance, and it has been picked up on and exploited by three of his last four opponents. Is Jake Ellenberger the kind of fighter to do the same? Probably not, but he has more than enough tools to make Sanchez struggle in other ways. A quick look through Diego Sanchez's successful fights reveals his modus operandi; the man is an animal, constantly moving forward and swarming on opponents with punches until he gets them to the mat where his effective ground and pound and slick Jiu Jitsu can be utilized. One of Diego's best matches was his defeat of Nick Diaz, in which he would throw some big punches then literally dive at the much taller man's legs. Once he got Diaz to the mat Diego was relentless, stacking Diaz up in guard and dropping from his feet back to his knees with huge elbows. While Diaz was never in danger of being stopped, it is certainly the most ineffectual we have seen his guard look. However against BJ Penn, Diego Sanchez shot 27 takedowns, succeeded in none, and was pounded on the feet constantly. Now BJ Penn is a marvelous athlete, but to write off his natural abilities as the reason he could do this to Sanchez when other great athletes like Nick Diaz couldn't is just downright moronic. BJ fought the perfect gameplan against Sanchez which from the get go seemed to be about pressure. Throughout the fight BJ Penn backed Diego on to the cage, but instead of leading waited for Diego to charge him. When Diego did charge, BJ would take one or two shuffles back to avoid the first attack, slip the second and counter - and it worked. Every time. The reason this happened is because Diego relies on swarming opponents to get the takedown, every one of his previous defeated opponents had been distracted by his rushes with his hands and had left their hips exposed for him to shoot on. The thing is that Diego can hit with power, when he's standing still and swinging, but becomes a rigid arm-puncher when he attempts to strike at long distance. Just look at how he pushes his punches at Penn, it's almost Forrest Griffin-esque, and certainly nothing for Penn to worry about. Additionally his straights are slow and predictable - in his fight with BJ, Diego threw the same combination multiple times in every one of the five rounds. BJ continued to either counter it, or move out of the way with ease. Against Hathaway, who was by no means one of the top dogs of the division on Diego's return to welterweight, Diego was now timid to strike from distance, which meant that he had to try to close the distance for a takedown without his trademark furiosity, and his wrestling just isn't at the level where he can shoot wildly and expect to pick up a takedown. Diego continued to get picked apart by the longer, taller Hathaway on the feet, due to his inability to fight at distance, then eventually fell back on the age old strategy of waiting for the opponent to punch, and then attempting to shoot underneath it. So Hathaway did this: In his most recent 'win', Sanchez's striking was exposed in a new way. Martin Kampmann is a much taller fighter than Sanchez, and owned a significant reach, so Diego - for some unexplained reason - opted to fight with his lead hand down by his hip for the entire fight. For those of you who haven't read my Southpaw Guide, the reason to keep your lead hand up when you are a southpaw fighting an orthodox fighter is that it neutralizes the opponent's jab completely. A good southpaw striker should never be hit with as many jabs as Diego was by Kampmann. He had some success against the cage by swinging at Kampmann - who has never responded well to pressure - but he took so much punishment to the face in order to get there for a brief moment that it seemed impossible for him to win the fight. Fortunately, the judges in mixed martial arts know so little about striking that this turned out to be the face of a winner: Once again Diego's takedowns were largely ineffectual, because he cannot close the distance unless the opponent is scared of his punches. Now has Diego simply declined? Or has the game evolved and left him behind? The author would argue for the latter. Make no mistake Diego Sanchez's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is beautiful, and his ability to take the lead in chaotic scrambles seemingly every time is very much a unique point of his abilities, but watching back his fight with Nick Diaz - will anyone be so easy to takedown by leaping in from 5 feet away in todays mma? Nick Diaz's takedown defense has always been fairly suspect, but he has improved in leaps and bounds too, while Diego Sanchez seems to rely on the same strategies he used in his promotional debut almost seven years ago. Is Diego Sanchez a relic? The young and hungry Jake Ellenberger should be able to give us some indication in a few days time, but he is unlikely to do it the same way. Ellenberger is more likely to simply sprawl on Sanchez and brutalize him in wild exchanges and clinches than he is to draw him to where he is uncomfortable, at range, and counter him coming in as Penn, Hathaway and Kampmann did... but it's not completely unlikely.

Posted in: fight, diaz, diego, sanchez, bj

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

"If you let [Diego Sanchez] dictate the pace of the fight, and the range, you're going to be in for a long night. If he wants to go that break-neck, stupid-guy pace, I can do that, too. But, I plan on hurting him on my feet -- I know I can hurt him. If he wants to come out and bully-rush like he normally does, then I think he's going to get hurt. So, I'm really prepared for anywhere the fight goes…. I'm looking forward to showcasing [my improved stand up] in this fight and making it a 15-minute, full-blown assault on my part…. I'm excited." -- Nick Diaz and his recent (and very disappointing) UFC 143 drug test failure might have us all consumed at the moment, but there are other welterweight fights on the horizon. In fact, there is a pretty good one on tap between Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez, which will headline the first-ever UFC on Fuel TV main event on (Wed., Feb. 15, 2012) from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. And it's not outside the realm of possibility that the winner of the 170-pound match up takes on newly-crowned division interim champion, Carlos Condit, in the near future with Diaz facing a lengthy suspension and Georges St. Pierre still recovering from knee surgery. How do you like them apples, Maniacs?

Posted in: ufc, fight, diego, sanchez, im

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Posted in: mma, hour, episode, diego, sanchez

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Dennis Siver's fight against Ross Pearson at UFC on Sweden never came to fruition, but instead he'll fight Diego Nunes at the March 24 show in Stockholm.

Posted in: ufc, fight, diego, sweden, ross pearson

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

MMAWeekly Radio Weekend Edition returns for a huge show with UFC on Fox headliner Rashad Evans, Diego Sanchez and a new segment called 'Ask Ronda Rousey'.

Posted in: diego, sanchez, mmaweekly, rousey, ronda

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

There's a Brazilian race car driver named Diego Nunes that is slightly younger and less successful than his UFC counterpart, the real Diego Nunes. Let's just pretend he doesn't exist and Brazil outlawed driving really fast cars decades ago. In this scenario, the speed limit is 15mph and road rage runs rampant on the streets of Brazil. In order to combat this anger, the Brazilian government has established road-side octagons for enraged motorists to duke it out for three rounds. That would make MMA the official sport of Brazil and leverage Diego Nunes to be an even bigger star than he already is. That's the world I want to live in. Let's make it happen CERN. We caught up with Diego Nunes and manager Ed Soares after UFC 141 to see what's next for the Brazilian. Apparently Jose Aldo is not out of the question.

Posted in: diego, brazil, diego nunes, nune, ufc theres

Read the full article at Middle Easy

UFC 141 victor Diego Nunes caught up with the media following his win in Las Vegas. He talked about his performance, training and hope to work with Gray Maynard.

Posted in: ufc, las vegas, diego, maynard, performance training

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Diego Nunes is looking to get his career back on track after dropping a decision to Kenny Florian at UFC 131. Despite losing the fight, Nunes made a statement by hurting Florian badly twice during the fight. Even with the loss Diego has gone a combined 5-2 in the WEC and UFC but has gone to the scorecards in all seven fights after having gotten stoppage wins in all 11 prior career fights. Diego now faces Manny Gamburyan in what has developed into a bit of a grudge match. In a short interview for the UFC, Diego talks about his gameplan for their UFC 141 bout: From the video: "To beat Manny will be only joy. I'm very focused, determined, with blood in my eyes. I only see him in front of me. I go to sleep and I wake up thinking of him. I'm aiming for the knockout, I'm aiming for his chin. No matter where this fight goes, I'll finish him, either by knockout or submission." SBN coverage of UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem

Posted in: ufc, fight, diego, im, manny

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

UFC featherweight Diego Nunes discusses his UFC 141 bout with Manny "The Anvil" Gamburyan.

Posted in: ufc, diego, diego nunes, nune, manny

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Roger Bowling speaks with Erik Fontanez following his Strikeforce win in San Diego.

Posted in: roger, diego, drop, bowling, erik fontanez

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

SAN DIEGO - San Diego-based K.J. Noons brought a modest but passionate hometown crowd to life by defeating fellow lightweight Billy Evangelista. After three entertaining and closely contested rounds, Noons earned a unanimous-decision win via 29-28 scores. The bout was part of the Showtime-televised main card of "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal," which took place at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.

Posted in: san, diego, hometown crowd, billy evangelista, rounds noons

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Get live cageside updates from Saturday night's Strikeforce card in San Diego.

Posted in: strikeforce, san, expert, diego, cageside updates

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Fans are invited to Thursday's "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal" press conference in San Diego, Calif. The fan and media gathering, which previews Saturday's Showtime-broadcast event, takes place at Seau's The Restaurant, which is located at 1640 Camino Del Rio North #1376 in San Diego. Saturday's fight card takes place at the nearby Valley View Casino Center.

Posted in: conference, fan, san, diego, media gathering

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

Diego Brandao may be a psychopath, but he's a psychopath with a heart of gold. Fresh off of winning the 145lb TUF tournament and taking home Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night awards worth 40k a pop, he's already looking to spread the love around. "I'm going to tell my mom to stop cleaning houses; I don't like this," Brandao said following his big win (props to MMAJunkie). "I'm going to take my mom from this crazy life to clean the houses of people. Now if she wants to come to the U.S., she can come to the U.S. If she wants to live in Brazil, she can live in Brazil. You pick. Whatever you want."..."I feel happy," Brandao said. "I made my promise when I got into the house. Now I want to spend $15,000, which in Brazil means $30,000. I want to spend it for kids in Brazil who have cancer and on the hospitals. I'm going to visit the hospitals. I'm going to make a better Christmas in Brazil for the kids this year because I haven't had a happy Christmas since my dad passed away." Diego's record leading up to TUF wasn't exactly stellar at 13-7 but he attributes a lot of his recent success to God - but not your standard Catholic or Protestant god. No, Diego is a Mormon, and while Mormons like to pretend they're just like you, the truth is Mormons are creepy and evil and definitely unsuited for the presidency of the United States of America. Someone should stop him from perverting those cancer kids' Christmas with his heretical nonsense. (pic via MMA Junkie)

Posted in: diego, brazil, brandao, im, hospitals im

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Diego Brandao talks about his win over Dennis Bermudez and his plans for the cash he won at the Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.

Posted in: diego, bermudez, brandao, finale, dennis bermudez

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

In arguably the greatest round in TUF Finale history, Diego Brandao pulled off a miracle submission to beat Dennis Bermudez.

Posted in: diego, bermudez, brandao, dennis bermudez, miracle submission

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Diego Brandao was a double bonus winner, taking home checks for Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night.

Posted in: diego, brandao, bonus, bonus winner, home checks

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Check out MMAWeekly.com's video highlight of Diego Brandao at the TUF 14 post-fight presser.

Posted in: video, diego, brandao, diego brandao, mmaweeklycoms video

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

LAS VEGAS - Brazilian brawler Diego Brandao is now the tournament winner of "The Ultimate Fighter 14," just as he promised he would be. Mission complete. But with a cool $80,000 in "Fight Night" bonuses in his pocket following an impressive The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finals win on Saturday night, Brandao now has a new goal in place: It's time to save Christmas.

Posted in: diego, brandao, diego brandao, tournament winner, mission

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submitted by goalfinga [link] [3 comments]

Posted in: fight, diego, bermudez, brandao, goalfinga

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The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale resultsLas Vegas, NVMichael Bisping def. Jason Miller via TKO (strikes) 3:34 R3Diego Brandao def. Dennis Bermudez via submission armbar 4:51 R1John Dodson def. T.J. Dillashaw via TKO (punches) 1:54 R1Tony Ferguson def. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)Johnny Bedford def. Louis Gaudinot via TKO (strikes) 1:58 R3Marcus Brimage def. Stephen Bass via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)John Albert def. Dustin Pague via TKO (punches) 1:09 R1Roland Delorme def. Josh Ferguson via submission rear naked choke 0:22 R3Steven Siler def. Josh Clopton via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)Bryan Caraway def. Dustin Neace via submission rear naked choke 3:38 R2Of the Night BonusesFight: Diego Brandao vs. Dennis BermudezKO: John DodsonSubmission: Diego Brandao

Posted in: tko, diego, brandao, stephen bass, fighter crowns

Read the full article at UltMMA

To determine this season's featherweight winner at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, Diego Brandao and Dennis Bermudez engaged in one of the craziest and most exciting first rounds in MMA history. Brandao, who'd built a reputation as an unstoppably aggressive striker with three violent wins by TKO on TUF, was the one backed up by Bermudez's striking onslaught. Bermudez fearlessly trudged into range and uncorked stiff punches, keeping the Brazilian on his heels for the first minute or two. Brandao vaulted into control when he connected with one of his homerun punches that crumpled Bermudez to the canvas. As he'd done in two previous fights on the reality show, Bermudez recovered almost immediately and was back to his feet and returning fire. Then, in another dramatic tilt of the see-saw, it was Brandao who was dropped with a huge right hand while charging in. Bermudez pounced aggressively, landing hammerfists while Brandao established his guard. In the waning seconds of the round, Brandao brilliantly spun his hips around to lock a deep armbar. Bermudez tried to roll out but Brandao was relentless and wrenched the hold to elicit the tapout. Bermudez looked to have a tweaked arm or elbow but congratulated Brandao and seemed in good spirits despite the injury and circumstances. Diego "Ceara" Brandao defeats Dennis Bermudez by first round submission to become the featherweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 14.

Posted in: diego, bermudez, brandao, dennis bermudez, round brandao

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"...wrestling is better than jiu-jitsu." - Dennis Bermudez. Thinking like that will get your arm broke, Dennis. Oh wait.... Your arm did get broke. submitted by cp3woo [link] [10 comments]

Posted in: diego, arm, bermudez, denni, cp

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Brazilian prodigy Diego Brandao lived up to the expectations with a memorable Submission victory over Dennis Bermudez in the Featherweight Finale of the 14th Season of The Ultimate Fighter. Diego Brandao walked out to the music of his hero and the fellow Brazilian, Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva, bringing the same "all-out war" attitude inside the Octagon. Brandao displayed strong striking techniques, but his approach almost cost him dearly after Dennis Bermudez managed to time in his strikes and hurt

Posted in: dennis bermudez, brandao, diego, bermudez, denni

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Growing up in Brazil, Diego Brandao left home to come to America not to pursue his own dreams, but to follow the final words from his father.

Posted in: diego, brazil, brandao, father, father ’s

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The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale play-by-play of Diego Brandao vs. Dennis Bermudez on Saturday, Dec. 3, in Las Vegas.

Posted in: diego, bermudez, brandao, finale, playbyplay

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"The Diego fight is a whitewash, he's going to absolutely murder Bermudez. Diego's an animal. I said Diego could win a UFC title right from the start of the series, that's why he was my top pick. Did you see him fight in the semifinal? Oh my God, he almost murdered the guy. Everyone was sh*t-scared of him. They were all pretending they weren't but they all were." Sounds like Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 coach Michael Bisping (via ESPN.uk) has bet the house on Diego Brandao, who smashed and bashed his way to the Dec. 3 live finale opposite Dennis Bermudez this Saturday night at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to "The Count," the Brazilian bomber had the rest of the 145-pound contestants running scared, but will he be able to capitalize on fight night? Or is he all bark and no bite? How do you see this featherweight finale playing out?

Posted in: diego, fight night, diego brandao, featherweight finale, animal i

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Ultimate Fighter 14 featherweight finalist says it doesn't matter if he's the underdog - he's going to beat Diego Brandao.

Posted in: diego, bermudez, he, doesnt matter, underdog hes

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Topics covered in this episode- Diego Brandao's underrated Jiu-Jitsu game-John Dodson in the size vs. skill debate -Two Jackson's MMA fighters in the finals and favored to win-A split on the Bisping vs. Miller fight-Does the winner of Bisping vs. Miller become a title contender?  Podcast Powered By Podbean

Posted in: vs, miller, diego, brandao, wina split

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TUF 14 wildman Diego Brandao says he's better than Dennis Bermudez and that he's going to KO him in the first round in this exclusive interview.

Posted in: interview, tuf, diego, brandao, dennis bermudez

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Featherweight Diego Brandao and bantamweight John Dodson win in decisive fashion to advance to the finale of Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Posted in: fighter, bisping, diego, fashion, bisping miller

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Last week on The Ultimate Fighter 14, bantamweight TJ Dillashaw made it to the finals with a decision victory over Dustin Pague. Tonight is the final episode of the season and featherweights Diego Brandao and Bryan Caraway will battle for the final spot against Dennis Bermudez while bantamweight teammates Johnny Bedford and John Dodson will look to challenge Dillashaw in the finals. Rather than a simple recap, throughout the festivities, this fall 5 OZ will be providing live commentary during each episode including assessments of each fighter and breakdowns of the action, not to mention a snarky remark or two relating to the behavior of coaches and contestants. Read below to get our take on things as they unfold in this week’s episode (and make sure to join in on the discussion in the “Comments” section below: *Since John Dodson and Johnny Bedford are both on Team Miller, Jason decides that he’s going to sit on the sidelines and let his assistant coaches take over. *Bedford’s game plan is to takedown Dodson. Dodson’s game plan is to not let that happen. Who will follow the game plan? Both guys make weight. Bisping asks Miller who he thinks will win and Miller says, “the fans.” Clearly Jason has been talking to Bren. *Bedford does some shadow boxing in the pool. That never works for BJ Penn. Dodson says he’s going to win because he’s awesome and Bedford is not. The Miz approves of Dodson. *Bantamweight Semifinal Fight – Johnny Bedford (Team Miller) vs. John Dodson (Team Bisping): The first round was close but Dodson did a nice job using his speed and hooks to get in and out before Bedford could connect. Both men scored with a takedown but they each got up immediately. Dodson busted the nose of Bedford and landed the cleaner, more powerful strikes, which was enough to give him the round. Dodson dropped Bedford early in the second round with left hook and then knocked him out cold with a series of hammerfists. A great overall performance by Dodson. Result: John Dodson def. Johnny Bedford via KO Round 2 (Punches) *The doctor asks Bedford where he is and he says, “Ohio.” Yikes. *Bryan Caraway is in the hot tub worrying about the strength of Diego Brandao while Diego is sharpening a knife on a rock. I think Miesha Tate has a better chance than Bryan. *Bryan is putting a ton of pressure on himself in this fight. He says he hates MMA and that he always throws up before a fight. Miller tries to play Dr. Phil with Bryan, but I’m not sure it’s working. Miller says that Bryan is skilled enough to beat Diego, but is worried about his mental state. *Diego and Bryan make weight. Bisping bets Miller $100 on the fight. These guys are main event fighters and they’re only betting 100 bucks? Come on guys. *It’s the last night in the house, which means it’s party time. Miller joins the festivities, riding a bike around and jumping it into the pool. Diego and Bryan try to stay focussed while everyone else has fun. *Featherweight Semifinal Fight – Bryan Caraway (Team Miller) vs. Diego Brandao (Team Bisping):

Posted in: miller, bryan, diego, bedford, dodson

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It's been a long time coming, but Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez is finally a done deal.

Posted in: jake, vs, deal, diego, sanchez

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The long-rumored welterweight fight between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez will take place Feb. 15 in Ellenberger's home city of Omaha, Neb.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, ellenberger, diego sanchez, diego, sanchez

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

News of an exciting upcoming Welterweight fight has surfaced. Heavy.com reports that it will be Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger taking place on a future UFC card. No exact date is yet set, though both men have agreed to the bout. Some rumors have it as taking place on the January 28 UFC on Fox 2 card (where it could join Chael Sonnen vs. Mark Munoz on the televised card), though Sanchez's manager Malki Kawa says that date is not happening. Regardless where it goes down, this is a great fight with title implications. Diego is 2-1 since his return to Welterweight at UFC 114. He looked great in his UFC 121 win over Paulo Thiago, but his win over Martin Kampmann remains a source of controversy, as many felt Diego rightly lost that one. Sanchez at one point held an impressive 17-0 record, and while he's fallen a few steps since those days, his name value, veteran status, and series of amazing fights all make him a viable contender to the Welterweight crown. This could also be his last chance to make a real run at the belt, as his 10 years in the sport look to be catching up to him lately. Ellenberger is coming into this fight on 5 straight wins including his huge defeat of Jake Shields in September. That 1 minute KO was a massive win for Ellenberger that really pushed him ahead of the pack of contenders at 170. A win over Diego would only keep that momentum strong. The winner here will join Carlos Condit and Jon Fitch at the very top of the Welterweight ranks, waiting to see how the rumored UFC 143 Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz title fight plays out, and who would be next in line. Diego "The Dream" Sanchez (23-4)W - Martin Kampmann (Split Decision) UFC on Versus 3W - Paulo Thiago (Unanimous Decision) UFC 121L - John Hathaway (Unanimous Decision) UFC 114 Jake "The Juggernaut" Ellenberger (26-5)W - Jake Shields (KO, R1) UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. EllenbergerW - Sean Pierson (KO, R1) UFC 129W - Carlos Eduardo Rocha (Split Decision) UFC 126

Posted in: ufc, fight, ellenberger, diego, sanchez

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Rumors have been swirling for weeks now that Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger were in talks to meet in the Octagon next year, possibly at UFC on FOX 2. Well, according to Heavy.com, the rumors were true about the match-up, just not the event. Sanchez and Ellenberger have reportedly agreed to meet next year, but the date and location is still unknown. A long rumored fight between Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger has been agreed to by both fighters, but is awaiting a date and location. Sources with knowledge of the negotiations on Saturday told Heavy.com the two welterweights will meet, likely sometime this winter. But the most talked-about date – Jan. 28 at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago – is not likely to happen. Additionally, Sanchez’s agent, Malki Kawa, took to Twitter earlier this week to say Sanchez would not be appearing on the Chicago card. Before the report, Ellenberger told Tatame that he would “love” to fight Diego Sanchez, but the fight that he really wants is Georges St. Pierre. He believes he has the style to beat him. “Styles make fights and I go into each fight with no fear, working my strategy and what I’m gonna do. GSP is fantastic, one of the best fighters in the world. I’m working my way up, one fight at a time and hopefully I can get to fight GSP. I think [my style] is definitely one to give him more trouble than a lot in the past. He’s one of the best fighters in this sport. I definitely have to be prepared and I’ve dedicated by life to training and doing everything I have to do to keep improving on things I’m weaker at or not as strong and become more well-rounded. I definitely believe I can beat GSP. I think I can beat anybody in my weight class in the world. I just have to continue to stay focused.” Ellenberger will have to get past Sanchez if he wants to stay in the running for a welterweight title shot, but if that opportunity comes, GSP will be ready for him. GSP comments on the potential match-up in the video interview below with Sportsnet.ca. Image via Dave Mandel for Sherdog

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, gsp, diego, sanchez

Read the full article at MMA Convert

Though a date has not yet been selected, Diego Sanchez is expected to fight next against streaking welterweight Jake Ellenberger.

Posted in: jake, diego sanchez, diego, sanchez, date

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submitted by FightCove [link] [6 comments]

Posted in: jake, vs, diego, sanchez, chael

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Having Tito Ortiz at our practice was off the chain. Honestly, it was a little weird with him there because I was so used to seeing him in classic PPVs or on UFC video games; him being there in person was crazy. It was like he had an aura around him – like, “That’s Tito Ortiz, man!” Other than it just being cool to see him, Tito also had excellent advice for a guy like me considering he’s the “King of Ground and Pound”. I know I’ll personally utilize some of what I learned from him on that day in my own game. People don’t understand that Tito is a big dude physically but he has like a super-dome! It was crazy. I know TUF showed my comment referring to how large his head but one of his friends actually paid me $100 to tell him that in person too. I was like, “Man…I’m just in awe of looking at you…you’ve got a big f*ckin head!” Easiest $100 I’ve ever made. Another theme on last week’s show involved some drama involving TJ Dillashaw. From my perspective, I felt like Dillashaw avoiding John Dodson was a bitch move – something a draft dodger does – but that’s it. On the other hand, Akira Corassani was actually pretty pissed about it. He wouldn’t let it go. So then it came up jokingly that we should teach him a lesson during a training session. My reaction was to explain I don’t get down like that; it’s just not something I’d do. This sport is dangerous enough so there’s no need to be dirty during a training session. I didn’t like TJ but I was going to let him do his own thing and not be bothered with it. But Akira and Diego Brandao came up with a plan where they were going to rough Dillashaw up. Akira did it because he felt like TJ was a punk, a “draft dodger,” but Diego wanted to actually fight Brian Caraway in the semifinal and was hoping to deliver a message through TJ, to his teammate back home Brian, that his BJJ was better than his. That’s why when you saw them rolling all you heard was, “Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!” When I saw that going on I said to myself, “Okay, I guess this must be what Akira was talking about.” So I tried to distance myself from the situation, walking to the back, but then Michael Bisping called me over to help with wrestling, clinches, and takedowns. When I got into the cage Akira and TJ were going at it extremely hard. I knew right then things could turn bad. It was like takedown, takedown, and then Akira slammed him so hard I could feel the rumble underneath my feet. Dillashaw got pissed, pushed him against the fence, and took him down so hard it hurt Akira’s elbow. Then Akira did the same thing back, taking Dillashaw down more aggressively than normal. And then I get called in… So I started out nice and soft since I knew TJ had a fight coming up but all of the sudden he started chunking leather, hitting me hard as f*ck! And I’ve said it before – I’m nobody’s punching bag. My reaction was to throw the plan out the window as far as clinches/takedowns and just start beating his ass. Then all of the sudden he’s like, “What are you doing?!?” I said, “You’re banging,” and he talked about how he had a fight coming up. I told him I didn’t care, that he was throwing too hard and I was going to defend myself. Even Bisping backed me up when I asked him if TJ was hitting harder than normal. Afterward I heard Akira and Diego talking about how they showed TJ what was up and right then I realized for sure I’d gotten caught up in their mess. All I’ll say about Dillashaw fight with Roland Delorme is that TJ won because he took an easier fight. He’s a draft dodger. He wanted the easier fight and it was. And he dodged Dodson in the semifinal match-ups too which actually worked out well for Johnny Bedford since he wanted to fight Dodson anyways. Basically, from what I understand, he’s called the “Jackson Killer” because he’s beaten up two of Dodson’s teammates at Greg Jackson’s camp, but basically I think it’s because Bedford likes beating up on flyweights. He’s basically a “Flyweight Bully” trying to beat up 125ers. By the way, Caraway is draft dodger #2 if I haven’t made that clear. He kept telling Diego how he thought they would make the best fight in the final because of their experience. I remember before Diego’s fight with Steven Siler talking to Siler, who was basically the equivalent of the guy on the couch in Half-Baked because he was always sleeping, and he told me Brian urged him to take the bout with Brandao – that he said, “Brian told me I’m the only one who can beat Diego…that my BJJ is better than Diego’s.” When he told me I had to keep my poker-face on but in the back in my mind I couldn’t help but think Brian was trying to manipulate the situation because he didn’t want to fight Diego. Even after Diego beat Siler, he went on one of his famous rants and he stepped up to Caraway. Brian’s reaction? “Nooo…save it for the Finale!” Man, that was one of the gayest things I’ve ever heard in my life and I even have a gay friend. At least “Top 3” if not #1. The way I translated it was, “Hey, man, if you’re gonna rape me can you just do it Tuesday because Monday I’m busy. Like you probably gathered from the previews, prepare yourselves to see an incredible prank on next week’s episode. Tiki Ghosn is the “God of Mischief,” not Loki. That’s it for this week. Shout outs as always to my guard unit, the 117th in Birmingham, Alabama, my boy to my old team at Spartan Fitness, my family and friends in Alabama, American Top Team, Emmanuel at E Hollywood Promotions for inviting me to an incredible Halloween party, and a very special thanks to Tommy Elliot at TE3 Athletics for helping me drive twelve and a half hours from Alabama to Florida Thanks again for reading. I’ll be back next week with some more insight on what went down. In the meantime check me out on Twitter (@brim205) or learn more through my video blog. Tweet

Posted in: fight, ’t, diego, akira, tj

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A featherweight battle between two guys that apparently don't like each other has been re-added to the schedule. Diego Nunes and Manny Gamburyan had been scheduled to face off before at UFC 135, but it didn't end up happening. Well, it's back on for UFC 141 according to UFC.com: Featherweights Manny Gamburyan and Diego Nunes have re-booked their bout, originally slated for UFC 135 in September. The fight was scrapped after both men suffered injuries leading up to the date. Nunes had asked for this fight originally due to "unresolved issues" between the two: "It that on that time in Colorado, (Jose Aldo) Junior fought him and I fought a local guy (Tyler Toner). When we were giving autographs, I was a little distracted and signed it on Manny Gamburyan's head. A guy from UFC said ‘not here' and I apologized because I was not concentrated. When (Gamburyan) was going to sign it, he saw my signature on his forehead and said it was disrespectful. They told me they were going to cut my finger so I would learn. Ed Soares had a huge argue with him. Since that day we don't really like each other. Gamburyan says too much, so I wanted to see him actually doing it (taking the fight)". Nunes hasn't fought since his decision loss to Kenny Florian at UFC 131, while Gamburyan is coming off a loss to Tyson Griffin at UFC on Versus 4 in June. The UFC 141 card will be main-evented by a heavyweight bout between former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. More SBN coverage of UFC 141

Posted in: ufc, diego, nune, manny, gamburyan

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Winner of the first season of the Ultimate Fighter middleweight division, Diego Sanchez has become a name in MMA and a force to be taken seriously in the UFC. He was preparing for a showdown with former welterweight champion Matt Hughes at UFC 135 but suffered a hand injury and was forced to pull out. [...]

Posted in: ufc, coach, hand injury, diego, sanchez

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From the let's try this again file, former 'Ultimate Fighter' winner Manny Gamburyan will meet Diego Nunes at UFC 141 in December.

Posted in: ufc, diego, diego nunes, nune, manny

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Whenever I hear about TUF fighters "having it easy", and being coddled, I have to remind said person that Zuffa's pattern for matchmaking has been fairly random, actually. Diego Sanchez, the TUF 1 winner, got an easy fight coming off the "six figure contract". To Brian Gassaway, who he destroyed. His second fight was against Nick Diaz in 2005. Nick had a fantastic record in the UFC, having derailed Robbie Lawler's hype train with a right hand, and his only loss at the time was to Karo Parisyan in a very very close fight. In other words, this fight was no gimme. Many fans expected the fight to be too soon for Diego. Nothing had prepared Sanchez for Nick's game. Perhaps the most startling thing we learned once the fight started is that Diego was legit on the ground, which I'm not sure very many people predicted. Sure he had skills, but how would he respond to Nick's raw aggression? The UFC made it a point of making this the narrative: Nick, the blue collar type, versus Diego, the white collar silver spoon athlete who was only in the spotlight because he got picked for a reality television show. The first round starts out with a grappling bang. Nick paws with his jab, Diego shoots in, and immediately swivels around Nick to take his back. Nick rolls sort of for a kneebar with Sanchez on top, still scrambling for position. In the process he swivels for an armbar. Diego regains top control, and starts throwing punches. It's a frenetic first couple of seconds.  At the 3 minute mark Diego separates, and spins so that his waist is pressing against Nick's head and positions for a kimura. Nick defends, and scoops Diego into side control. As Diego scrambles to his feet, Nick positions for a kimura which Sanchez rolls out of. "You can see the anger fueling both of these men...the hatred for each other...the disregard Nick Diaz has for the meteoric rise of Diego Sanchez", Mike Goldberg says,with a description of the action so other-wordly that he might as well be speaking Spanish and French (at the same time). At the two minute mark, Diego is pressed up against the fence. He drops down for a double leg, turns the corner, and seems to take Nick's back for a split second. It's short lived, and the round ends with Nick constantly positioning for submissions (think Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida instead of Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson). Round 2 beings with another takedown by Nick. For several minutes, the two battle on the ground. Nick comes "close" to a triangle, but Diego is just out hustling Nick. Finally with over a minute left, with Nick seated on his rear, Diego stands up and throws a knee. It almost looks illegal, but it appears to hit Diaz' chest, and Diego slides into mount. The mount lasts mere seconds while Nick sweeps, rolls into a leg lock, and lands in top control in Diego's guard. At the end of the 2nd Diego appears to be say something to Nick (now bloodied up), who ignores him.       At the start of the 3rd, Nick lands a pretty stiff left. Diego drops for a takedown which seems to coincide with the punch (he certainly wasn't hurt). He doesn't get it, and continues to eat the odd jab, and straight left. But back to the ground they go off a failed takedown, which Diego uses while both are clinched to drop down, and turn the corner to get Nick's back. Nick defends and again it's Diego on top, trying to find the mark with his punches as Nick positions for submissions. With 2 minutes left in the third, both guys are cut, and bleeding around their eyes. Nick scores a takedown, and finally Diego must fight off his back. "This is truly is as real as it gets". Yes...because we would have thought they were playing frisbee otherwise Mike. With a minute and 44 seconds left (with Big John playing close attention to a nasty gash above Diego's right eye), Diego uses his right leg to swivel off the fence, and secures an armbar. It's the only time I can remember Nick ever being in trouble from a submission. The camera angle allows us to only see Nick's back, but his back is completely taut, and Diego appears to have his arm extended. Nick deftly uses his right hand to unhook Diego's left leg. They eventually scramble again, with Nick going for a kimura, using it to sweep Diego. Diego uses the sweep attempt to position for back control, while Nick uses the attempt at back control to position for a leg submission. Like many before this one, it's a beautiful exchange highlighting grappling acumen we wish there was more of.  It's also a nice fight to look back on that is one among many reasons why the main event, pitting Diaz against Penn, is so compelling.

Posted in: fight, nick, diego, sanchez, minute

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A lightweight match-up between the two Strikeforce Challengers standouts has been added to the December 17 event in San Diego, California.

Posted in: strikeforce, vs, diego, matchup, wilcox

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Former 'Ultimate Fighter' 1 winner Diego Sanchez is on the mend and shooting for a return to the Octagon in early 2012.

Posted in: diego sanchez, winner, diego, sanchez, return

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Can anyone help me out? I really want to see this fight. Maybe make it the FOTD? Thanks submitted by Mayday72 [link] [comment]

Posted in: diego, sanchez, fotd, request, fotd thanks

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [3 comments]

Posted in: jake ellenberger, jake, diego sanchez, diego, mattyblayze

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Diego Sanchez's ascent in his second go-around inside the framework of the UFC welterweight division has...

Posted in: ufc, diego sanchez, hand injury, diego, sanchez

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