MMA-URLS

Damian Grabowski added another win to his resume, submitting Eddie Sanchez by keylock at 2:02 of round two in the MMA Attack 2 main event in Spodek, Katowice, Poland on Friday.

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After Ellenberger vs. Sanchez went only 3 when it should have been 5, Dana White said all main events from then on will be 5 no exceptions. Yet, last night's main event of Gustafsson vs. Silva was 3 rounds yet again. Did anybody hear if this was addressed after the fight? submitted by MarbledNightmare [link] [13 comments]

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If UFC stand-out Diego Sanchez has ever been in a boring fight you can bet your bottom dollar the lack of excitement wasn’t a result of anything he did. Known for a fearless, fan-friendly approach to competition, “The Dream” has put together a career highlight reel full of entertaining outings most recently including a February match-up with Jake Ellenberger. It’s a trend Sanchez would like to continue in the future regardless of what division he fights in, having entered the Octagon as both a welterweight and lightweight, and a reputation he’ll have an opportunity to build on later this year after he heals up from shoulder surgery. When it comes to his return, Sanchez has stated it’s likely he’ll give 155-pounds another shot and he already has two opponents he’d like to test his skills against – Anthony Pettis and Nate Diaz. Sanchez Willing to Fight Teammates if Match-up Makes Sense “I told Dana I really liked that fight,” said Sanchez in an interview with MMAJunkie Radio when asked about facing Pettis. “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.” Diaz is also in the title-hunt, picking up consecutive wins over Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone, and happens to have a huge public following as well. “It’d be a Fight of the Night,” Sanchez stated on Diaz. “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.” With a pair of winning options ahead of him and a new found dedication to training/living right the future looks bright for Sanchez, not to mention fans who love scintillating scraps. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Diego Sanchez has bounced around from lightweight to welterweight while competing in the UFC. Now, as he continues to heal from recent surgery to fix a torn labrum he suffered two years ago, Sanchez is looking at a possible lightweight match upon his return. In an interview with MMA Junkie’s Radio show, the current welterweight discussed his interest in a move to 155 pounds. “I’m probably going to be going down to 155 for the next fight,” Sanchez said. “And there are some possible opponents I’m looking at.” In his last bout, Sanchez suffered a loss to Jake Ellenberger. He said the defeat, and time off because of the surgery, has allowed him to think hard about lightweight. “We’ll see where I end up, but I’m still kind of a lighter welterweight,” “The Dream” said. “I really try to lift weights, but the shoulder injury sort of set me back. As I heal up, my body’s going to get a little smaller, so I might just go down to 155.” Sanchez earned himself a title fight after three consecutive wins at lightweight, but was defeated by BJ Penn. The Jackson MMA-trained fighter believes he is in a much better position in his life right now, adding, “The last time I was at 155, I was just a wreck.”

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Three years ago, original Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez made a run at the lightweight title with wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida before hitting a brick wall known as the best B.J. Penn the world had ever seen. While Sanchez looked sharp at 155 pounds, by his own account he was far from living up to his potential due to a number of personal issues in his life. Fresh off an entertaining albeit losing performance against Jake Ellenberger in early March, Sanchez recently underwent surgery for an injured shoulder and will be out until fall. The situation has not only given him an opportunity to take care of a nagging affliction but to give serious consideration to another dip in the lightweight pool. “I’m probably going to be going down to 155 for the next fight,” said Sanchez in an interview with MMAJunkie Radio. “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.” While plenty of exciting match-ups await Sanchez at lightweight, the one opponent he seems most drawn to is Anthony Pettis. In addition to being an exciting, well-rounded competitor, the 15-2 “Showtime” happens to be healing up from similar surgery and is expected to be ready for action around the same time as Sanchez. “I told Dana I really liked that fight,” relayed Sanchez of a potential pairing with Pettis. “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.” Pettis beat current title-holder Benson Henderson in late 2010 by way of decision. He is 2-1 since joining the UFC with a loss to Guida. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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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.

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If you haven't been watching ONE FC then you have missed some amazing fights, some free ONE FC tshirts and you also missed out on Jason Chambers giving MiddleEasy.com a live shoutout. More importantly, you also missed out on the ONE FC debut of Tatsuya Kawajiri in which he faced off against another figfhter making his first appearance in ONE FC, Donald Sanchez. In the cage, Kawajiri and Sanchez traded strikes, with Kawajiri backing the American up against the fence and eventually taking the fight to the ground. The fight ended around a minute from the end of the first round with Kawajiri's legs wrapped around Sanchez's neck in a triangle choke. With his gold shorts, heavy metal entrance music and menacing 1000 yard stare, Tatsuya Kawajiri picked up his 32nd MMA victory. You've missed all of this if you haven't been watching live but luckily for you, we have the from IronForgesIron video here.  

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ONE FC 3: War of the Lions takes place this morning, Saturday March 31st at 8pm ET on the ONE FC Youtube page. In the main event, Zorobabel Moreira takes on Felipe Enomoto. Tatsuya Kawajiri makes his ONE FC debut against Donald Sanchez. Melvin Manhoef looks to score a big knockout against Yoshiyuki Nakanishi Results and recap after the jump. Results Zorobabel Moreira vs. Felipe Enomoto Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Donald Sanchez Eduard Folayang vs. Ole Laursen Yuya Shirai vs. Fabricio Monteiro Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi Eddie Ng vs. Jian Kai Chee Masakazu Imanari vs. Kevin Belingon Jeet Toshi vs. Nicole Chua Quek Kim Hock vs. Major Overall Yodsanan Sityodtong vs. Jiang Long Yun Danny van Bergen def. Richie Whitson via Submission (Armbar) at 3:44 of Round 1 Recap Zorobabel Moreira vs. Felipe Enomoto: Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Donald Sanchez: Eduard Folayang vs. Ole Laursen: Yuya Shirai vs. Fabricio Monteiro: Melvin Manhoef vs. Yoshiyuki Nakanishi: Eddie Ng vs. Jian Kai Chee: Masakazu Imanari vs. Kevin Belingon: Jeet Toshi vs. Nicole Chua: Quek Kim Hock vs. Major Overall: Yodsanan Sityodtong vs. Jiang Long Yun: Danny van Bergen vs. Richie Whitson: The two fighters got off to a quick start and exchanged heavy leg kicks and punches. Whitman showed proved he trains with Team Quest as he scored a solid takedown early on, but unfortunately for him, he found himself stuck in an armbar, and although he was close to escaping, he ultimately was forced to tap at 3:44 of Round 1. Tweet

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Donald Sanchez (25-12) is the King of the Cage 145-pound champion and has won ten out of his last twelve fights. Still, in his mind that success is only the beginning. At 27-years of age he feels that he has yet to reach his potential but that when he does he will be one of the best featherweights in the world. Adding to his background, he is from Albuquerque which has produced some top MMA fighters including Carlos Condit and Diego Sanchez and has been fighting since 2005 when the rising star made his debut as a last minute replacement despite never having done any MMA training. Sanchez has a huge fight coming up this Saturday at ONE FC: War of the Lions when he takes on Tatsuya Kawajiri at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.  It will be the biggest show he has ever fought on in his career with at least 7,000 people in attendance and hundreds of thousands more watching around the world on a free stream. He caught up with Fighters.com to talk about how MMA saved him from jail and his thoughts in general on the opportunity at hand this weekend when he fights for ONE FC: Fighters: I heard a rumour you were Diego Sanchez’s brother and you guys look similar. Is that true? Sanchez: I’m not Diego’s brother. We are good friends and we are both from Albuquerque but we’re not brothers. I train just down the street from him though. Why do you think there are so many good MMA fighters from Albuquerque such as yourself, Diego and Carlos Condit? Sanchez: Albuquerque is a rough town so all of us grew up fighting all the time. We live a mile high so it’s good training. There’s a lot of violence there. It’s in the water I guess. I was in a lot of trouble growing up, fighting all the time. It was either go to jail or straighten my life up and I started training and ever since I haven’t been in trouble again. When did you first start learning martial arts and why? Sanchez: I was 21 when I first started doing MMA. I started training just after I had my first daughter. I thought I was a badass and I went to a show to watch a friend fight and they asked me to fight and I just jumped in and I won. It was pro too. I did no training at all. I didn’t even know that at the time it was pro and I don’t have an amateur background. That’s why I have so many pro fights. I won my first few fights. I started training after the first fight but not with the team I am with now. Basically, I just did my own thing, I didn’t have my own trainer I just had friends and we worked out together in a garage but after I got some bigger fights and found I had potential I started training with Tom Vaughn at Fit NHB and I’ve been there ever since How much did winning your KOTC belt back a couple of weeks ago help your confidence? Sanchez: I had my KOTC title fight booked before I got the offer from ONE FC and my mind was set on that fight but there was no way I was going to turn this fight down so I went in there, took care of business, finished it fast. I got the belt and now I have this fight. That fight only lasted about two minutes and I ended up knocking him out so it worked out perfect, I’m always pretty confident but I had lost that belt in the same venue so to get it back by knock out was good. I train my ass off all the time and I have no lack of confidence. Do you think Kawajiri is the best opponent you have ever faced? Sanchez: Hatsu Hioki is probably the best opponent I have faced but Kawajiri is obviously on this level. It’s a coin toss between those two. Kawajiri’s no joke and it’s an honor to fight him and I can’t wait. Are you excited to be fighting for ONE FC for the first time? Sanchez: This is a huge fight. Everyone thinks he is one of the best 145-pounders in the world and I believe I am too so this is my time to prove it.  I want to fight the best in the world because I want to be the best in the world.  Hopefully it will be an exciting fight and I will come out on top, I think my cardio is better than his so I am going to push the pace. I want fans in Asia to see me fight. The more fans I have the better. I’m an exciting fighter and I’m sure that fans will be excited to watch me and hopefully ONE FC will have me back. What are your ambitions as a fighter, are you hoping to fight a few times for ONE FC? Sanchez: I’ve only been training for five or six years, real training anyways, so I may have a lot of fights but I am still learning every day and progressing. I believe I can fight with the top fighters. I only signed for one fight with ONE FC but hopefully I can win and put in a good performance and get more fights. ONE FC: War of the Lions is being streamed live on YouTube completely free of charge. Other featured bouts include those with Melvin Manhoef and Masakazu Imanari. Click here to view the ONE FC YouTube channel. Live streaming commences: 8:00 PM – Kuala Lumpur 1:00 PM – London 8:00 AM – New York City 5:00 AM – San Francisco (Free live streaming is geo-blocked in Singapore and Japan)  PHOTO CREDIT – KOTC Tweet

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If you have watched Japanese MMA within the past ten years, there is a very good chance that you know Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri, and that you know him well. Kawajiri was long seen as one of the top Lightweights in the world before dropping to Featherweight last year. Kawajiri makes his One FC debut at One FC: War of the Lions, in one of One FC’s most exciting debuts to date, a product of an agreement between One FC and DREAM. The only problem for Kawajiri is that he’ll be stepping into the ring with a very competent Donald Sanchez who is looking for a big win himself. Kawajiri is a veteran in every sense of the word, his career dating back to 2000 when he stepped into a SHOOTO ring for the first time. Since then his career has spanned from SHOOTO to PRIDE to DREAM, even a trip to America to challenge Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez. When talking starpower in Japan, Kawajiri has it, one of the best known Japanese MMA fighters of this generation who has seen a lot of success. His move to Featherweight came after his loss to Gilbert Melendez, and realizing that Melendez was bigger than him, and to compete with the big international names, weight-cutting was necessary to be competitive. As a Featherweight, Kawajiri is an impressive 2-0, with wins against Joachim Hansen and Kazuyuki Miyata, two incredibly formidable opponents. Kawajiri the Featherweight making his debut for One FC is exciting in many ways, because for Kawajiri it marks only the second time in a thirty nine fight career where Kawajiri has left Japan to fight. It also shows One FC thinking to the future by booking Kawajiri, a rare example of a Japanese fighter looking to become a name internationally and utilizing weight-cutting like so many of the top name American fighters do. Crusher Kawajiri is looking to evolve as a fighter, and he is choosing One FC to be where he continues that growth. His opponent, though, is no slouch at all. Donald Sanchez of the United States is the current kingpin in regional promotion King of the Cage’s Bantamweight (145lbs) division. Sanchez has held that Bantamweight Championship twice now, with him being the current, reigning champion. Sanchez has fought in many promotions as well and taken on all comers, fighting in Bellator, MFC, SHOOTO and King of the Cage. There are even some parallels with Kawajiri, such as only fighting away from home once in his career so far and formerly fighting up in weight before dropping to Featherweight. For Sanchez, this is the biggest fight of his career without a doubt. Sanchez will actually be a unique challenge for Kawajiri, coming from a wrestling background, with Kawajiri being a competent wrestler, but has struggled against American wrestlers, as we saw against Melendez and Eddie Alvarez. For Sanchez, a win over Kawajiri at One FC could help him achieve international acclaim for the first time in his seven-year career. It could also help him break a bit of a curse that he has going for him, where the last two promotions he debuted in, he suffered a loss; once in Bellator to Johnny Eduardo and once in SHOOTO to current UFC-fighter Hatsu Hioki. Both fighters will look to make a splash in One FC at One FC: War of the Lions on March 31st in Singapore. To many, the scales are tipped in the direction of Tatsuya Kawajiri, but for Donald Sanchez, this is a huge opportunity that doesn’t always knock twice.

Posted in: kawajiri, career, sanchez, fc, donald 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 organization.

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

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Champions generally don't leave their promotions while in the midst of a title reign, but that's exactly the route that Vinny Magalhaes is planning to take. As he tells it, the decision to part ways with M-1 has been a foregone conclusion for months, and the impetus came smack in the middle of his last match.Last October, Magalhaes was in the midst of successfully defending his light-heavyweight championship against Mikhail Zayats at an M-1 show in Phoenix when his manager Juan Sanchez heard M-1's director of operations Evgeni Kogan openly rooting for and instructing Zayats."Once that happens, I don't know how you can trust somebody," Magalhaes told MMA Fighting. As it turns out, he can't. And so on Tuesday, Magalhaes (9-5-1) declared his free agency, saying he's lived out the terms of his contract. While Sanchez told MMA Fighting that M-1 has a matching period, he doesn't expect them to equal any new deal. There's little doubt he'll be a hot commodity, as the 27-year-old has gone 7-1 since ending his first UFC run in April 2009. Magalhaes and Sanchez believe that the M-1 relationship had first been fractured before the Magalhaes-Zayats match. Before Fedor Emelianenko had been scheduled to fight Dan Henderson, Magalhaes had been invited to help him train in Holland. The offer came uncompensated, and Magalhaes had just started a new job at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, so to him, the decision was clear to stay home. Then, days before Magalhaes fought Zayats, M-1 head Vadim Finkelstein was quoted as saying he was going to invite Magalhaes to train with Emelianenko as he prepared for Jeff Monson. The pairing made sense as Magalhaes is a highly decorated grappler who had just captured first place in the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling world championships. But no one from M-1 had ever approached Magalhaes about it, so when he was asked about it just days before his own fight, Magalhaes said he wouldn't do it without getting paid."I didn't think it was a big deal," said Magalhaes, who first came to prominence as a finalist on season eight of The Ultimate Fighter. "I didn't feel like I said anything bad. I just said if they want a service, they have to pay for it. But apparently Evgeni took it as an insult. It's not a package, like I fight for M-1 so I have to give them that service for free. It doesn't work like that. They only paid me to fight."Shortly thereafter, though, Magalhaes and Sanchez claim that they didn't even pay him for that. Magalhaes says he was pulled off two shows in late 2011, and communication between the sides was cut off aside from one contract extension offer."They don't have that many fighters," Magalhaes said. "It's not like they didn't have spots for me."M-1's Kogan declined to offer any comment when reached by MMA Fighting. But according to Sanchez, under the terms of the deal, Magalhaes' contract ended on Jan. 13, and on Tuesday, his exclusive negotiating period came to a close. "The No. 1 thing is to honor what you sign, and we've honored exactly what he signed for on the contract," Sanchez said. "The fact is, they didn't let us finish up the fights, but we've honored everything as far as time, and we haven't talked to any other organizations or taken any outside fights."That will change quickly. Sanchez plans to begin fielding offers immediately, and Magalhaes, anxious to fight, says he hopes to have something signed as early as the end of this week. The UFC is likely to be one of the interested parties, even though Magalhaes washed out quickly in his first run there. He says now that the opportunity came too soon. It was one he wasn't even looking for when it happened. Largely because of his friendship with Dan Henderson, Magalhaes was given a spot on TUF without ever trying out.When it came time to fight though, Magalhaes wasn't a complete mixed martial artist, relying on his overwhelming ground game to win. He eventually lost in the finals to Ryan Bader. That defeat served as a wakeup call about his future."I shouldn't have been in the UFC with the experience I had at the time," he said. "I didn't know how to fight. Three years later I can say, I had no idea what I was doing. I had no strategy. I would just go out there and hope that I would get taken down to the ground and maybe get a submission. But I had no strategy other than that."His journey since then has been about rounding out his skills, and it was with that in mind that he signed with M-1, hoping for frequent fights. In his four bouts, he earned four stoppage victories, two by submission and two by TKO. The chapter of his life apparently over, he'd like to return to the UFC, but is willing to listen to offers from other promoters, including Bellator. Anyone really, except for M-1."I've always been a competitor," he said. "It sucks for me to find motivation if I don't have a goal. Of course, I do have a goal. I know I'll fight, but for a while, it's been hard to fight motivation to be in the gym full-time. So hopefully, in the next few days I'm going to have an opponent somewhere. I'm really looking forward to that. In my mind, if I'm in the sport, I don't want to be just another guy. I want to be the best. I want to be fighting for a title. I want to be a champion."

Posted in: fight, sanchez, magalhae, dont, didnt

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The mess that is the New York Jets is either one step closer to being cleaned up or getting a whole lot more tangled. On Friday night, the Jets announced a three-year contract extension with quarterback Mark Sanchez, waving a white flag in their pursuit of Peyton Manning on the free agent market. The long-term deal for Sanchez, who led the Jets to two AFC Championship Games in his first two NFL seasons, comes after a rocky 8-8 campaign where the young quarterback struggled. It got so bad that midway through the season, star wide receiver Santonio Holmes called Sanchez and his offensive teammates out after lackluster offensive performance in Baltimore against the Ravens. The acrimony between the two seemed to continue as Holmes was benched in the regular season finale after getting into an on the field fight with his teammates . Holmes has often been suspected as being one of the anonymous sources within the Jets' locker room who has been speaking of dissension in the ranks. Sanchez said that the air has been cleared between the two. "We've been in contact really this whole offseason. A bigger deal was made out of that then was needed to be, but that's OK. With neither of us commenting on that it got bigger — we've kind of laughed that off at this point now, weeks ago. I've been down to see him," Sanchez said. "We've been in contact. I know he's in Africa doing charity work now but I know he's excited about next season." The reports of player discontent with Sanchez began to leak out several days after the Jets season ended, with the anonymous source calling Sanchez "coddled" and saying that the young quarterback was "lazy." Recently, the source told the media that the Jets offense would welcome a potential Manning arrival. Sanchez, who usually tiptoes around sticky issues, was quite clear about what he thought about those comments. "If you're an unnamed source, you don't speak for yourself, and therefore you don't really speak for your team," Sanchez said.

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submitted by combatpicks [link] [comment]

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Four fighters were issued medical suspensions after their fights at UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger last week in Omaha, Neb., including Ronny Markes, who is out indefinitely.

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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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UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger drew an average of 217,000 viewers, while peaking at 315,000, setting a pair of records for a live event on Fuel TV.

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submitted by LittleHoss [link] [7 comments]

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Diego Sanchez promised and delivered a dogfight, surviving a rough opening two rounds to nearly finish Jake Ellenberger in the third. It was the kind of gritty performance that has become expected of Sanchez during his 17-fight tenure in the UFC. Now 30 years old, Sanchez's future in the sport hold a bit of uncertainty. For one, he has discussed the possibility of making the move back down to lightweight for his next fight. In addition, there is the question of how these wars he's waged have affected his body and possibly stolen some years on the back end of his career. At his age, he's certainly not over the hill, yet there's no denying that he's had some troubles over the last two years. He's now 2-3 in his last five fights, and one of his wins -- a decision over Martin Kampmann -- was considered by many to be a gift from the judges. Regardless of his won/loss record, he comes to fight every time, so there is still a place for him in today's UFC. But you have to wonder if that style will eventually be his undoing. No one is suggesting he retire, only that he put more emphasis on his defense in the hopes of extending a career that has provided many thrills.On to the predictions… Jake EllenbergerHis future hinges on Carlos Condit. If the new UFC interim champion decides to fight again instead of waiting for Georges St. Pierre to return, Ellenberger is the man most likely to get the call to stand across from him in a bout that would be a rematch of their 2009 matchup that ended in a Condit split decision. Condit has yet to decide what he'll do, but at least their schedules are basically synced up, so there's no rush to make something happen. My gut instinct now is that Condit will wait and cash in his chip later this year. That will give Ellenberger time to take one more fight.Prediction: He faces Josh KoscheckDiego SanchezIt's hard to look into the crystal ball when Sanchez himself hasn't yet decided upon whether he belongs in the welterweight or lightweight division, but last time he was fighting at 155, BJ Penn was the champion. It's a different world there now, and I think that's what will draw Sanchez back to lightweight. I'm expecting him to move back down.Prediction: He takes some time off to move down, then faces someone like Joe Lauzon in the summer.Stefan StruveDon't look now, but Struve has won four of his last five. As usual, he looked fantastic on the ground, dominating Dave Herman there en route to a TKO win. He continues to work hard on his standup but he fought in a measured style and probably took more punches than he would have liked. Using his reach remains a priority, and it's something he certainly needs to continually address as he moves up the ladder. Prediction: He faces Gabriel GonzagaDave HermanHerman certainly made an impression, if not an impact. One of the UFC's most eccentric talents, Herman is also one of its most criticized, as rumors surrounding a less-than-stellar work ethic persist. Given his natural talent as well as his relative youth (he's still just 27), Herman has to determine whether he's getting the most out of himself, particularly in a division in which a relatively short win streak could quickly vault you to the top.Prediction: Matt Mitrione would seem like a fun matchup for himStipe MiocicMiocic stayed unbeaten with a swift, 43-second KO of Phil De Fries. Now 8-0 overall and 2-0 in the octagon, Miocic shouldn't be rushed, and should be matched up with another prospect rather than a long-established veteran.Prediction: Strikeforce's Shane Del Rosario recently said he should be ready to fight again by the spring, and a fight with Miocic would make sense.T.J. DillashawA dominant performance from Dillashaw, who did everything but get a finish over Walel Watson. Dillashaw not only out-wrestled and out-grappled Watson, he also got the better of several striking exchanges, a nice development for him after getting knocked out by John Dodson in his UFC debut. With a strong win firmly under his belt, Dillashaw can move forward in the hopes of proving he's going to be a true force among bantamweights.Prediction: Reuben Duran is set to return around the spring. That's a matchup of equal experience level.Ivan MenjivarLongtime fans probably have memories of Menjivar going back so far that they wouldn't believe he's yet to turn 30. Yet the veteran with over a decade in the game is indeed just 29 and in the midst of a three-fight win streak after a spirited comeback against John Albert on Wednesday. The former lightweight looks rejuvenated at bantamweight, so let's see what he can do against a more seasoned opponent.Prediction: He faces Raphael AssuncaoJonathan BrookinsBrookins has rarely been one to flash power to go with his stifling wrestling and ground game, so it came as a bit of a surprise to see him knocking out Vagner Rocha, who had never been finished in his career. Perhaps it's a new element to his game or perhaps it was a onetime fluke, but either way, he's won two of three in the UFC. A nice challenge for Brookins would be a fighter capable of challenging him either striking or on the ground.Prediction: He faces Diego Brandao

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The Sanchez vs. Ellenberger event in Omaha gave us a glimpse at what to expect from a number of UFC fighters down the road.

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UFC on Fuel TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" took place last night (Wed., Feb. 15, 2012) from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska, featuring Jake Ellenberger taking a unanimous decision over the always game Diego Sanchez. It's just too bad Carlos Condit is going to wait for Georges St. Pierre. Stefan Struve showcased the skills that have made him a top heavyweight prospect when he knocked out Dave Herman in the second round. "The Skyscraper" hopes to be in contention for the division title by the end of the year and if he can continue delivering performances like this one, he'll be there in a jiffy. Finally, Ronny Markes made a successful middleweight debut with a hard fought decision victory over tough-as-nails wrestler Aaron Simpson. A photo gallery (via UFC.com) is available for your viewing pleasure after the jump. For complete results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here and here. Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes Stipe Miocic vs. Philip De Fries Walel Watson vs. T.J. Dillashaw Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert The lovely Brittney Palmer

Posted in: jake ellenberger, ellenberger, vs, sanchez, heavyweight prospect

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Dana White always says what's on his mind. He's not afraid to call someone out even if it's himself. Seconds after Jake Ellenberger crawled across the finish line to win his three-round fight against Diego Sanchez, fans began asking "what … Continue reading →

Posted in: jake ellenberger, dana, sanchez, threeround fight, mind hes

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If you were among the countless fans frothing at the bit for another round in last night’s exciting UFC on Fuel headliner between Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger you might have more in common with a certain UFC executive than you think. According to Dana White, he too was let down by the bout’s premature ending after it climaxed with Sanchez’s late surge. “We blew it. It should’ve been a five-round fight,” the visibly disappointed UFC President explained in an interview on the post-event show. “Good question. Who knows,” White wondered when asked if he felt Sanchez may have pulled out the win after what was witnessed in the third round’s final minutes. However, if there’s a positive to be pulled from the fight’s finish, it appears to be White’s willingness to fix the problem. Sanchez Talks Performance After Hard-Fought Loss “There will be five-round fights from now on,” White vowed, confirming any main event not already signed will be a five-rounder regardless of where the card airs. Check out the full interview with White below where he also discussed Ellenberger’s performance, the future of Carlos Condit, the company’s openness to having Condit fight again, and more: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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

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Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Diego Sanchez, who was forced to bow out of a welterweight war against Matt Hughes in late 2011, almost found himself faced with yet another fight-canceling injury when he "severely sprained" his ankle preparing for Jake Ellenberger. "The Dream" hung in there, but ended up on the losing end of a unanimous decision against "The Juggernaut" at the UFC on FUEL TV event last Wednesday night (Feb. 15, 2012) at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. Now, Sanchez details the ankle injury that hampered his headlining performance during the UFC on FUEL TV post-fight show: "I had a lot of obstacles to overcome coming into this fight. I really severely sprained my ankle three weeks before the fight. I had pulled out of the Matt Hughes fight with a broken hand and I got a family to take care of. I refused to pull out of the fight and I just did what I could do. I iced it, I elevated it, I taped it, trained as much as I could and came into the fight and I went to battle. It wasn't that [the ankle] bothered me, it was okay, I had an ankle brace on it and a little tape, but I didn't have the proper training I could have had if I would have been at 100-percent. I didn't get a run, I didn't get a sprint. I couldn't even jump rope. I basically just had to work around the injury and do what I could do and prepare and I came in as the best possible Sanchez I could be. I gave it my all and I came close to getting it there at the end." Hear more from Sanchez on his fight against Ellenberger, after the jump. Full results and recap of UFC on FUEL TV: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" here and here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, sanchez, injury, ankle

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Jake Ellenberger's homecoming was probably a bit more harrowing than he'd have liked, but a win is a win when those cage doors shut. The 26-year-old slugger withstood a furious final-minute rally from Diego Sanchez in the main event of UFC on FUEL, earning his sixth straight victory and vaulting his name into title contention inside his hometown of Omaha, Neb. Video highlights of Ellenberger's triumph can be seen below. For more on Wednesday night's key welterweight tilt, follow the play-by-play from MMA Fighting's own Mike Chiappetta. Round 1: Ellenberger throwing fire early, nothing but power strikes. Sanchez respects it, as his usual breakneck pace is nowhere to be seen. Sanchez comes forward with a 1-2 combo. Ellenberger with a body kick as Sanchez looks for an opening. A pawing right by Sanchez grazes its target. Ellenberger lands a knee. Sanchez checks for blood but he's OK. Ellenberger with a left hook. Ellenberger initiates the clinch, lands a knee to the body. He looks for a takedown but is denied. The two exchange punches and back away. Ellenberger drops Sanchez with a counter right hand. Sanchez closes the distance. Ellenberger breaks free. He buckles Sanchez with a right on the jaw in the final seconds. It's 10-9 for Ellenberger. Round 2: Sanchez misses with a spinning kick. Ellenberger with a head kick. Sanchez partially deflects it. Ellenberger briefly switches stance and lands a straight left. Sanchez starting to show some frustration as each time he moves forward, he misses and Ellenberger is in perfect position to fire back something with evil intentions. Sanchez clips Ellenberger with a right hook with 2 minutes left, maybe his best punch of the fight. Ellenberger ducks under a Sanchez hook and takes him down. Huge elbows from Ellenberger late in the round as he looks for the finish. Sanchez's face is bloodied and bruised but he makes it to the horn. Ellenberger 10-9. Round 3: Ellenberger snaps Sanchez's head back with a left jab. He staggers Sanchez again. Sanchez comes forward and lands a hook. Ellenberger goes low threatening with a takedown but lets it go and instead fires a knee to the body. Sanchez lands a left hand and Ellenberger's bloodied now. Sanchez suddenly starting to find his range, but Ellenberger takes him down. Sanchez reverses and ends up on Ellenberger's back. Sanchez bursts with energy trying for the finish. He's throwing everything he can. Ellenberger escapes in the final moments and the two trade shots to close the round. A great comeback try for Sanchez but he'd need a 10-8 to win and it's probably only deserving of a 10-9. UFC on FUEL results: Jake Ellenberger def. Diego Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

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

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There’s no question that UFC welterweight Diego Sanchez is one of the most exciting fighters on the roster. A dynamic personality with tremendous heart, an iron will, and polished skill-set, Sanchez has made a name for himself as one of the few “must see” competitors since making his Octagon debut in 2005. However, since defeating Kenny Florian at the original Ultimate Fighter Finale, Sanchez is only 11-5 including last night’s clear-cut decision loss to Jake Ellenberger. Sanchez spoke some about his performance after the event on the Fuel TV post-fight broadcast where the 30-year old also addressed the possibility of dropping back down to lightweight. Though “The Dream” avoided offering anything concrete on the topic it appears he’s at least open to the idea. “That’s up in the air,” responded Sanchez when asked about competing at 155 pounds. “I’m gonna take the fights that propel me to the biggest stage.” In 2009 Sanchez went 2-1 at lightweight, losing in a championship bout against B.J. Penn after taking out Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida. He is only 4-4 in his current divisional home since 2007. As far as the ankle injury he errantly referred to after his loss, at least regarding fans’ reaction, the 23-5 Sanchez elaborated some saying it wasn’t an issue during the fight with Ellenberger but affected his ability to prepare. “It wasn’t that it bothered me, you know? It was okay. I had an ankle brace on it and a little tape but I just didn’t have the proper training that I could have had if I would’ve been at 100%,” Sanchez explained. “I didn’t get to run. I didn’t get to sprint. I couldn’t even jump rope. I had to work around the injury, do what I could do, and prepare. I came in with the best Sanchez that I could be. I gave it my all.” All was nearly enough, as Sanchez overcame two-and-a-half rounds of losing to nearly pull out a victory in the end thanks to a late flurry on the ground. Check out the complete interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: bj penn, ’t, sanchez, wasn ’t, championship bout

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

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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Diego Sanchez fought his rear end off last night in losing to Jake Ellenberger. The lead in to the fight was very revealing as Sanchez admitted he hadn't taken all elements of his career seriously enough. He seemed apologetic. Just … Continue reading →

Posted in: fight, jake ellenberger, sanchez, kendall, attitude fights

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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

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

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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"We blew it," UFC President Dana White said. "It should have been a five round fight." After UFC on FUEL TV's thrilling main event between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez last night, media and fans alike questioned why a headlining bout of significance between two known action fighters would only be scheduled for three rounds. Sanchez himself wondered aloud in his post-fight comments with UFC announcer Jon Anik why the fight wasn't longer. In fact, the UFC had previously announced all main events would be five-rounds whether a title was on the line or not. According to White, it should have been and that mistake won't be repeated. "I was sitting here again tonight looking at the fight going, 'Yeah, this should have been five rounds.' I think that if Ellenberger and Diego went back in there for a fourth round the place would have went crazy. People were ready for it at home," White lamented. Contrary to suggestion, the decision to make Ellenberger vs. Sanchez was not a directive from FUEL. "FUEL would have let us do 33 rounds if we wanted to," White noted. Remaining coy about who had responsibility for the decision, White hinted the choice was made internally at the UFC, but not one they'll make again. "I'm not gonna throw anybody under the bus but we blew it, we should have done it." The only caveat to UFC's plans for universal five-round main events would be existing contractual limits. "There will be five round fights from here on in," White continued, "other than contracts that have already been signed." The UFC first hinted at the possibility of holding non-title five-round main events in April of 2011. By June, the UFC formally announced the change. "From this day forward, any fight that is signed after right now today will be a five-round fight," White announced days prior to UFC 131. The move to five rounds is designed to reduce the possibility of controversial or indecisive endings as well as to add a measure of grandeur to main events. The first UFC main event non-title bout took place at UFC 138 in Nottingham, England in November of 2011 between middleweights Chris Leben and Mark Munoz.

Posted in: ufc, fight, round, event, sanchez

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Missed last night's three-round slugfest between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez at the UFC on Fuel TV event in Omaha? Get caught up with Fuel's highlight reel.

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

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

A few observations from UFC on Fuel TV: “Sanchez vs. Ellenberger”: -Thank you, Bernardo Magalhaes, for reminding us that being a badass MMA competitor in Australia < being a badass competitor in the United States. -Ditto for Anton Kuivanen and Finland. -Jonathan Brookins wasn’t the first TUF winner to lose right out of the gate in his first post-TUF fight (hi Joe Stevenson!), but still, that’s a crappy club to belong to.  Good for him for getting a solid win. -If not for that damn Diego Sanchez, Ivan Menjivar and John Albert’s spirited back-and-forth was a shoe-in for that “Fight of the Night” bonus.  Woo-wee did they do a lot of fighting in three minutes and forty-five seconds. -I’ll say this for Walel Watson, the man is unbreakable. -Why did it look like Stipe Miocic and Philip De Fries were fighting in molasses?  Pair Miocic up against someone with speed, like Lavar Johnson, and he’s going to have his head knocked clean off. -Has Aaron Simpson ever had a fight where he didn’t take a beating? -Did you know that if you squinted your eyes while watching the Stefan Struve/Dave Herman fight, the hirsute Herman looked exactly like Kimbo Slice? -For the first two rounds of Sanchez vs. Ellenberger, I thought our man Diego was on the verge of getting killed.  But the dude just does not let up, and though he lacked his opponent’s power, he was able to wear Ellenberger down and work some of his magic.  No, Sanchez will never be the champ.  However, he is certainly the new Chris Lytle, giving it all in the cage and pleasing the fans.

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, vs, sanchez, stipe miocic

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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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Promises, promises. Diego Sanchez made several leading up to his UFC on FUEL TV 1 main event fight last night (Feb. 15, 2012) against Jake Ellenberger, which took place at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. And the "Dream" lived up to at least one of them, if not more, on the first-ever televised main card on the FOX-owned network. It was a dogfight. In the early going, however, it seemed like a one-sided ass-kicking. Ellenberger was drilling Sanchez with clean, knee-buckling punches. However, as we all know, that means little when it comes to the Greg Jackson-trained mixed martial arts (MMA) zombie, who has a remarkable ability to absorb punishment and keep moving forward. It certainly wasn't for lack of effort on the part of Ellenberger, who also mixed in takedowns and effective ground and pound. So when the third round arrived, it was clear that the hometown hero, Ellenberger, was way ahead on the judges scorecards. Sanchez needed to go for broke and look to finish the fight early. And that's exactly what he (almost) did. Sanchez reversed position late in the round and quickly took his opponent's back. He began to drill the side of Ellenberger's face with punches, and when the "Juggernaut" would attempt to escape, Sanchez would maneuver for a rear naked choke submission alongside the fence. It was a desperate situation for Ellenberger, who looked visibly tired after 10 rounds of beating up Sanchez. But, with a few remaining seconds left in the round, he mustered up the strength to get to his feet and engage in one last flurry of hellish exchanges before the final horn blared. Ellenberger survived Sanchez's valiant last-ditch effort. And, in the process, may have punched his ticket to an upcoming 170-pound interim title fight against Carlos Condit with division champion Georges St. Pierre still on the mend from knee surgery. Rematch revenge with title implications on the line: It doesn't get much sweeter than that. In the co main event, Stefan Struve and Dave Herman collided in a heavyweight showdown between two exciting fighters looking to crack into the upper echelon of the division. "Skyscraper" not only accomplished that goal, but also cracked Herman's jaw with an uppercut in the second round that set up the eventual finish. Prior to the exchange, "Pee-Wee" appeared to be fighting his fight, keeping a safe distance from his 6'11" long-limbed counterpart and only getting close to deliver compact combinations, as well as kicks. It appeared to be an effective strategy, but certainly not one that seemed like it was going to earn him his sixteenth professional (technical) knockout. Not against the dangerous Dutchman, anyway. With time winding down in the second stanza, Struve uncorked a very large uppercut, which immediately buckled Herman's legs. Struve, noticing that Herman was clearly hurt, followed him to the canvas to deliver the fight-ending sequence that forced the referee in charge of the action to declare, "No Mas!" That's now back-to-back wins for Struve, who has also won four of his last five. And not one of them, win or lose, has been boring. In fact, he's one of the more exciting, and young, 24, fighters in the division. One who might deliver another fan-friendly brawl if he can get his hands on another hot prospect some day soon. Speaking of which ... Two solid, up-and-coming heavyweight prospects, Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic, hooked 'em up to determine who was a possible future division contender and who was just a pretender. Miocic left zero room for doubt, nailing his English counterpart with a straight right counter in the early moments of the first round, which stunned De Fries and sent him wobbling back from his hard-charging attack. One that actually had the Croatian-American stunned, but in his haste to pour it on thick, De Fries forgot that there is nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal. Noticing that De Fries was dazed, Miocic landed a few more shots that put him on the canvas. And from that point forward he put it on him like a champ, bashing his face repeatedly, uninterrupted, and leaving the referee no other choice but to intervene and stop it before it got even uglier. What else would you expect from a former Golden Gloves boxing champion and Division 1 NCAA wrestler? It doesn't get much better than Miocic's pedigree on paper. The 29-year-old has so far lived up to the much-deserved hype. And then some. Whatever frustration T.J. Dillashaw had pent up following his flash knockout to John Dodson in The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 14 Finale back in Dec. 2011, he took out on Walel Watson last night for basically 15 straight minutes. Giving up what looked like a one-foot height advantage, the Team Alpha Male-trained fighter immediately looked to nullify that advantage by taking "The Gazelle" to the ground. And that's exactly what he did, early and often, en route to a lopsided unanimous decision. Dillashaw at one point in the second round was just pummeling Watson from all sides while in top control. He'd roll to his back to avoid the punishment, but then Dillashaw would attempt to end the fight with a rear naked choke. This scenario played out about a half-dozen times, with Watson able to defend rather brilliantly and easily. It was maddening, really, because he was unable to muster any offense -- sans a brief submission-laded threat late in the third round -- and his defense was merely delaying the inevitable. Also inevitable, most likely, is a post-fight employee review -- Watson has now dropped two straight bouts and three of his last five. Dillashaw, meanwhile, earns his first-ever UFC win and looked impressive in the process. He'll be back soon. That, too, is inevitable. Ivan Menjivar and John Albert kicked off the main card action, trading enough bombs, as well as submission attempts, in a fight that only lasted less than four minutes, but seemed to have enough action to pack an entire three-round fight. It was a back-and-forth bantamweight brawl in which both fighters were in serious trouble at one point or another. In fact, Albert rocked "The Pride of El Salvador" with a face kick and then landed several knees that appeared to signal the beginning of the end. With the referee appearing to itch his official trigger, on the verge of stopping the fight, Menjivar rose to his feet, slipped out of a guillotine choke and began to turn the tide. He soon took the back of the suddenly exhausted "Prince," angling for a rear naked choke and eventually securing it to earn an exciting come-from-behind victory. That's now three straight wins for Menjivar since his return to the Octagon in April 2011. If he keep that streak alive in 2012 he might soon find himself in more meaningful 135-pound bouts -- against stiffer, more noteworthy competition -- sooner rather than later. Because no good deed inside the eight-walled cage ever goes unpunished. That's enough from us. Now it's your turn to discuss UFC Fuel TV 1: "Ellenberger vs. Sanchez" in the comments section below. Is Ellenberger vs. Condit 2 a must? What's next for Sanchez? Is Struve-Miocic a fight you want to see? While we're at it, how about Dillashaw vs. Menjivar? Let's hear it, Maniacs. Be sure to also check out our complete UFC on Fuel TV 1 blow-by-blow coverage of the entire "Ellenberger vs. Sanchez" event right here. While you're at it, check out our fight-by-fight recaps and immediate reactions for the UFC on Fuel TV 1 action: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger UFC on FUEL TV 1 results: Jake Ellenberger wins decision over Diego Sanchez in war Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman UFC on FUEL TV 1 results: Stefan Struve pounds out Dave Herman Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes UFC on FUEL TV 1 results: Ronny Markes wins close split decision over Aaron Simpson Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic UFC on FUEL TV 1 results: Stipe Miocic knocks out Phil De Fries in the first round T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson UFC on FUEL TV 1 results: TJ Dillashaw dominates Walel Watson en route to decision win Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert UFC on FUEL TV 1 results: Ivan Menjivar chokes out John Albert And to checkout our complete UFC on Fuel TV 1 event archive click here.

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, tv, sanchez, fuel

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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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Last night UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger had the type of evening fighters dream about. Headlining his first event against as apt an adversary as can be found floating around the division, Ellenberger not only put on an incredible performance but did so in front of his hometown fans in the same building where he walked the stage to receive his high school diploma. The 26-year old Ellenberger held on to earn a convincing decision win after a late surge by Sanchez nearly derailed his hopes of having his hand raised. Were that not enough, Ellenberger received a little post-victory icing on his already sweet cake when it was announced his collective work with Diego Sanchez netted Fight of the Night honors. The distinction earned each an additional $50,000 on top of their regularly contracted rates. A Round-by-Round Breakdown of Ellenberger’s Win Over Sanchez Meanwhile, Submission of the Night went to Ivan Menjivar who also mounted a comeback of his own after eating some stiff shots from opponent John Albert in the early stages of their pairing. He too won $50,000 for the award, as did Stipe Miocic who got Knockout of the Night in a similar fashion, weathering a storm from foe Philip De Fries before ultimately picking up a strike-based stoppage. All UFC on Fuel 1 bonuses were announced at the post-event press conference. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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

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Former UFC Lightweight title challenger Diego "The Dream/Nightmare" Sanchez looked back at his performance against Jake Ellenberger in the main event of last night's UFC on Fuel TV 1 in Omaha, Nebraska. Once again, Sanchez spoke about the series of injuries suffered prior to the bout with Ellenberger, and his future in the UFC Welterweight division. Sanchez also declared that the fight with "The Juggernaut" should have went for five rounds, since he started to gain momentum only in round 3. Further

Posted in: ufc, diego sanchez, sanchez, gain momentum, dreamnightmare sanchez

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Jake Ellenberger survives a late third round scare to earn a hard-fought unanimous decision over Diego Sanchez in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 1 last night (Weds., Feb. 15, 2012) at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. "Juggernaut," competing in front of his supportive hometwon crowd, rocked the "Dream" on several occasions in the first two rounds; however, the hard-hitting wrestler soon found out -- just like everyone else who has stepped inside the Octagon with Sanchez -- that he is one of the toughest outs in all of mixed martial arts (MMA) today. In fact, Sanchez had a great opportunity to end the fight late in the final stanza when he took a tired Ellenberger's back, but it turned out to be a case of too little, too late. Ellenberger for some reason refused to call out Welterweight interim champion Carlos Condit in his post-fight victory speech, but it's very possible that he didn't have to because the rematch will likely happen anyway because Georges St. Pierre does not plan to return to action until winter. We'll just have to wait and see how it all pans out. For a more detailed recap on the fight between Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez click here and for complete UFC on Fuel TV 1 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.

Posted in: ellenberger, sanchez, fact sanchez, hardhitting wrestler, hometwon crowd

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Jake Ellenberger took one step closer to a shot at the welterweight title on Wednesday night, gutting out a unanimous decision win over Diego Sanchez in the main event of UFC on Fuel “Ellenberger vs. Sanchez” at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb

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

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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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UFC on FUELl TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska, has officially wrapped, which means it's time for those select fighters who went above and beyond in their respective fights to get a little extra grease for their efforts. To the tune of $50,000 each. The promotion dished out its standard post-fight monetary bonuses to four out of the 20 fighters on the card, and it's probably no surprise who's leaving "The Gateway to the West" with a second sack of simoleons. The heavyweights brought the thunder tonight and thankfully delivered the "Knockout of the Night" in the process. Stipe Miocic survived an early onslaught from Philip De Fries to counter with a straight right down the pipe that put the Brit on his back for a sweet English nap. All in just 43 seconds. The "Submission of the Night" was an easy pick, considering only one of the 10 fights that took place ended by way of tapout. And that was thanks to Ivan Menjivar, who used a rear-naked choke to force a tap from John Albert after an incredible first round of action. Finally, Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger were awarded "Fight of the Night" for their thrilling war of attrition that featured "The Juggernaut" running through "The Dream" for two rounds before fading late to give Sanchez a chance to get back in the fight. And while Carlos Condit has said he'll wait for Georges St. Pierre, a rematch against Ellenberger sounds about as good as it gets. Stay tuned. Here are the special fight bonuses for UFC on FUEL TV 1: Knockout of the Night -- Stipe Miocic Submission of the Night -- Ivan Menjivar Fight of the Night -- Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger Again, each fighter received $50,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible. For complete UFC on FUEL TV 1 results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.

Posted in: fight, night, ellenberger, tv, sanchez

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Four men walked away from UFC on Fuel TV 1 with an extra $50,000 on Wednesday night, as Jake Ellenberger, Diego Sanchez, Stipe Miocic and Ivan Menjivar each took home post-fight bonuses.

Posted in: tv, sanchez, wednesday night, miocic, ivan menjivar

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The Jake Ellenberger-Diego Sanchez fight lived up to the hype on Wednesday night, winning $50,000 Fight of the Night honors in Omaha, Neb.

Posted in: fight, night, sanchez, night honors, wednesday night

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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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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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Jake Ellenberger, Diego Sanchez, Stipe Miocic and Ivan Menjivar each won a $50,000 bonus for their performances at UFC on FUEL Wednesday in Omaha.A main event between two welterweight contenders lived up to the hype and earned the Fight of the Night award, as announced at the post-fight press conference. Jake Ellenberger rocked and bloodied up Diego Sanchez to win the first two rounds convincingly. Needing a finish for the win, Sanchez took the initiative to push forward in the third and nearly pulled off the upset. Late in the third, Sanchez pounded a tired Ellenberger against the fence with punches, but Ellenberger somehow ate the shots and found a way to escape. In the end, Ellenberger won on all three score cards two rounds to one, perhaps slotting himself in line for a shot at the interim UFC title. More Coverage: UFC on FUEL Results | Latest UFC News Croatian Stipe Miocic engaged in a brawl with Philip De Fries and came up on top for the 43-second knockout and the official Knockout of the Night. Miocic was hit early, but returned fire with right hands that sent De Fries to the canvas. Miocic finishes with punches to record back-to-back UFC wins. In the evening's lone submission, Ivan Menjivar won Submission of the Night with an exciting come-from-behind win over John Albert. Menjivar was in serious trouble in the first round and weathered a storm of strikes to scramble to top position. From there, Albert gave up his back and Menjivar capitalized with a rear-naked choke to close the FUEL television opener at three minutes and 45 seconds.

Posted in: ufc, night, ellenberger, sanchez, fuel

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Sherdog.com will report from the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb., at approximately 6 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC on Fuel 1, headlined by a welterweight bout between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, sanchez, welterweight bout, omaha neb, centurylink center

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Sherdog.com will report from the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb., at approximately 6:20 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC on Fuel 1, headlined by a welterweight bout between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, sanchez, welterweight bout, omaha neb, centurylink center

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Sherdog.com will report from the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb., at approximately 6:20 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results of UFC on Fuel 1, headlined by a welterweight bout between Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, sanchez, welterweight bout, omaha neb, centurylink center

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UFC on FUEL 1 - Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, vs, sanchez, stat

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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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A back-and-forth 15-minute main event on Wednesday night ended in Jake Ellenberger taking a decision over Diego Sanchez in the first UFC on FUEL card. It was an excellent fight featuring two of the sport's top welterweights, and it was a good display of both Ellenberger's great skill and Sanchez's tremendous heart. Ellenberger was the better fighter in the Octagon, but Sanchez deserves credit for making it through 15 minutes. In the end, the judges all agreed that Ellenberger had won the first two rounds and Sanchez had won the third, and the scorecards were unanimous, 29-28. Ellenberger had the crowd on his side in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, and they carried him through a close first round in which both men had their share of effective strikes. Ellenberger knocked Sanchez down with a punch, and that knockdown may have been the difference in a close round. In the second round Sanchez appeared to grow more frustrated as Ellenberger continued landing punches and then moving out of Sanchez's range. With a minute left in the round, Ellenberger ducked under a Sanchez punch and executed a takedown, and he landed some big elbows from the top, clearly winning the second round. Sanchez wouldn't go down without a fight, and in the third round he did some damage to Ellenberger in the striking exchanges. Ellenberger took Sanchez down with just over a minute to go in the round and appeared to be in good position to ride out the victory, but Sanchez did a sensational job of transitioning into a dominant position and pounding away on Ellenberger. Sanchez had Ellenberger in big trouble as the third round drew to a close, but he wasn't able to finish the fight, and Ellenberger held on for the decision. "Diego's known for that -- he's the toughest guy I've ever fought and he's a true warrior," Ellenberger said. "It's an honor to fight him." It's an honor for UFC fans to watch Ellenberger. He's a future title contender, but he demurred when asked if he wanted to call out interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit. "I'm not sure, that's up to the UFC," Ellenberger said. Ellenberger is willing to wait for his title shot, but he won't have to wait too long. Ellenberger has the talent and the toughness to be a champion.

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, round, sanchez, minute

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The main event of the UFC on FUEL TV 1 fight card that took place tonight (Wed., Feb. 15, 2012) at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska, featured Diego Sanchez returning to take on hometown boy Jake Ellenberger. How important was this fight? Well, before the broadcast hit the air, UFC President Dana White told SB Nation's Ariel Helwani that it's entirely possible the winner would earn a title shot in the event Carlos Condit decides not to wait and Georges St. Pierre's recovery takes longer than expected. This was kind of a big deal. That's why it's so huge that Ellenberger managed to pick up such a hard fought victory after three rounds and 15 long minutes of action. "The Juggernaut" dominated the first two frames and survived a late surge from Sanchez to take a decision on scores of 29-28 across the board. Was he good enough for UFC to want to book Carlos Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger part deux? We shall see. As expected, the staredown was intense. Thankfully, it carried over to the fight, at least at the start. Ellenberger wanted to please his native fans with a big knockout early, throwing a haymaker in an attempt to get the party started sooner than we all thought. Swing and a miss. Somewhat surprisingly, Sanchez was tempered in his attack, far more patient than we're used to seeing him. It's not that he was tentative or even weary of Ellenberger's power. He simply stayed cool under the pressure of the moment. Even when he rushed in and got caught with a big counter shot that put him on his ass. Thanks to that, Ellenberger definitely had round one on the scorecards. It wasn't long into the second round when Sanchez's frustration started showing. His calm demeanor slowly started to fade in favor of a less-than focused scowl and pushing punches. His attacks became predictable and Ellenberger was reacting to them perfectly. To mix it up nicely, "The Juggernaut" threw in a takedown late in the round, timed impeccably to shoot underneath a charging Sanchez. He also punished Diego with monster elbows that furthered the damage to "The Dream's" nose, which was already busted up big time at this point. The stats? 23 ground strikes from Ellenberger, one from Sanchez. They battled back and forth into the third, Sanchez slowly making his way back into the fight. He landed enough to open a cut on Ellenberger and even reversed a takedown into back mount where he ended the fight by unloading a ton of punches. Ellenberger fought back to his feet and the bell sounded with the two men throwing wild haymakers. Freaking awesome. Sanchez fought valiantly until the very end but because of his dominance in the first two rounds, Ellenberger came away with a victory that could catapult him to a welterweight title shot. Stay tuned. In the meantime, check out MMAmania.com's complete coverage of the UFC on FUEL TV 1 action by clicking here.

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

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HeavyMMA provides all the round-by-round and fight-by-fight coverage for tonight's UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger card. The action starts at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Posted in: vs, sanchez, tonights ufc, blog heavymma, fightbyfight coverage

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Two of the welterweight division’s hottest stars will meet tonight inside the Octagon in the main event at UFC on Fuel: Ellenberger vs. Sanchez, the UFC’s first live show on the FOX-affiliated network, as Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez looks to enter the contendership discussion by beating 26-5 Jake Ellenberger. Ellenberger has won his last five fights including a 53 second knockout of Jake Shields in September. Other featured figts include Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes and Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman. As always, Fighters.com will be tuned in and delivering live results back as they unfold from Omaha. Things start on Facebook at approximately 6:15 PM EST with the main card hitting Fuel TV at 8:00 PM EST. Check below for a complete  rundown of UFC on Fuel: Ellenberger vs. Sanchez results: Tim Means def. Bernardo Magalhaes via Unanimous Decision Justin Salas def. Anton Kuivanen via Unanimous Decision Jonathan Brookins def. Vagner Rocha via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes) Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes Stipe Miocic vs. Philip De Fries Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger * – Buddy Roberts vs. Sean Loeffler was scrapped after Loeffler sprained his ankle during warm-ups for the fight. Both were paid their salary to show Tweet

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, vs, sanchez, fuel

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Catch full coverage of tonight's four-fight preliminary card for UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger here at HeavyMMA at 6:20 p.m. Eastern.

Posted in: ufc, vs, tv, sanchez, tonights fourfight

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With UFC on FUEL just a couple hours away, there are plenty of questions, concerns, and predictions to help us kill the time. Here are eight of them, in no particular order.I. What’s to become of Diego Sanchez if he loses this fight? Remember when he was the storm-harnessing iconoclast on the debut season of The Ultimate Fighter? It seems like just yesterday that we were first getting to know this unique little snowflake, but it was actually about seven years ago. Am I the only one whose mind is blown by that fact? Maybe, but it’s been a long, sometimes bumpy ride for Sanchez since then. He’s challenged for a title, looked both wonderful and terrible in the Octagon, and with a style dependent on toughness and exuberance, earned himself some scars that he’ll carry for the rest of his life. But at 30 years old and with nearly ten years in the sport, Sanchez seems to be at a fork in the road. If he can find a way to beat Jake Ellenberger, he just might put together one last title run. Then again, oddsmakers don’t expect that to happen, and it’s not hard to see why. If Sanchez can’t pull out the win here, what then? If his best days are truly behind him, how much longer can he continue to trade his willingness to bleed (a lot, if need be) for a paycheck in the UFC? Better yet, how will the MMA world remember Sanchez once it’s all over? He’s made his share of mistakes, both in and out of the cage, but he’s also been so unflinchingly honest about them that it’s been almost uncomfortable to witness at times. There has to be a place in this sport’s collective memory for a true original like Sanchez, regardless of whether he ever reaches the mountaintop. Maybe he’s already gotten as close as he’ll ever get. And maybe that’s okay. II. The FUEL issue isn’t going away any time soon, which might be just how the powers that be want it. As many of you have made very clear recently, not everyone with a cable package has access to FUEL and all its UFC-related programming. Even with FUEL’s free preview week going on ("UFC’IT for Free: Feb 13-19," the FUEL website proclaims) it’s still not available in all areas to all cable subscribers. That’s a bummer for fans who want to watch tonight’s fights -- although you can still find a bar to post up in, if you’re of the right age and temperament to make that work -- but it’s also a proven formula to increase the demand for an obscure cable channel. Remember Versus? Much like FUEL, it was a wasteland of niche programming, attempting to do with hunting and fishing shows what FUEL has tried to do with skateboard and motocross-related shows. The addition of MMA events gave a whole new audience a reason to agitate for its inclusion in their cable packages. Personally, I know I wouldn’t have bothered to get the "Platinum" cable package that included Versus if not for the fact that I just had to see WEC fights. Nor would I have cared too much about adding Showtime if it didn’t have Strikeforce -- no offense to...whatever else is on Showtime. The problem for many fans is that FUEL isn’t even an option with some cable providers right now, which is what the UFC and FOX are hoping to change. As White put it back in December, when he was asked whether the UFC had taken the case for FUEL directly to cable providers:"I have not. We’ll see what happens though. I think that once all this programming goes out on FUEL, I think the fans are going to end up doing that. More and more people are going to want FUEL. ...I lay in bed, I have DirectTV and I have Cox cable. What’s that, [expletive] 2,000 channels? And nothing’s on! I’m laying there, right, I’ve got every single movie channel and everything you can have, and I’m going, how can I have 2,000 channels and nothing is on TV that I want to watch? And it’s true. There’s so much [expletive] on television, and I think that as far as our fanbase goes and as many fans as we have and the amount of content that we’re going to have on Fuel TV, people are going to want it and people are going to demand it."In other words, get on the horn to your cable providers, disgruntled fight fans. Then go stake out a good spot in a sports bar so you don’t miss anything in the meantime.III. The weird situation at welterweight is only going to get weirder. My colleague Mike Chiappetta had a great look at the difficult situation that could arise if Diego Sanchez beats Jake Ellenberger and vaults himself into the (interim) title picture. As Chia pointed out, Malki Kawa reps both Sanchez and Carlos Condit, which could create a potential conflict of interest for one of MMA’s most prolific managers. On the other hand, if Ellenberger wins, he has a pretty solid case for a shot at Condit, assuming Condit can be talked into taking it. Then there’s Johny Hendricks and Josh Koscheck in May. If Koscheck wins, the UFC would probably want to stay away from any scenario that could result in a third GSP-Koscheck fight, and with good reason. But if Hendricks wins? That’ll be back-to-back victories over Jon Fitch and Koscheck -- two the world’s best welterweights. How could you possibly deny that man a shot at some form of UFC gold, interim or otherwise?IV. 218.3 pounds. That’s how big Ronny Markes is today, according to his official Twitter. The former light heavyweight clocked in at 185 pounds at Tuesday’s weigh-in, and apparently didn’t have too much trouble packing the pounds back on. Will the extra bulk help him shut down Aaron Simpson’s takedown attempts? We’ll have to wait and see, but you can count on Simpson to shoot early and often in an attempt to find out.V. When you think about it, it’s actually kind of amazing that Jake Ellenberger has flown under the radar for so long. He’s only 26 years old, but still has over 30 pro fights, including six in the UFC (the bout with Sanchez will be his seventh). Since 2005, it seems like he’s fought just about everywhere but the Pride ring and Yamma pit. I first saw him fight in person when he took a short-notice bout with Delson Heleno in the IFL. Heleno was submitting people left and right back then, and Ellenberger wasn’t even a full-time team member with Pat Miletich’s Quad City Silverbacks. We all thought he was doomed, but even in defeat he surprised everyone by escaping from one submission after another before the lack of a real training camp seemed to catch up with him late in the second round. In the UFC he’s put together an impressive win streak that seems impossible to ignore, and yet, for whatever reason, he still doesn’t get talked about that much. Is it a charisma problem, a lack of exposure, a general aversion to doing all those little things that get your name in the news when you’re not fighting? Probably a little bit of all three, if we’re being honest. At the same time, as long you keep winning you can rest assured that the headlines will eventually find you rather than the other way around. Ellenberger already got the key to the city of Omaha, even if that was hilariously strange to some. If he can perform the way most people expect him to against Sanchez, they might not be laughing for long.VI. One man’s tragedy is another man’s opportunity. Finland’s Anton Kuivanen was originally supposed to face fellow UFC newcomer C.J. Keith on this card. Then Keith’s father’s house burned down, and he understandably decided to delay his debut while he helped his family recover. That opened the door for lightweight Justin Salas, who for months had been trying to break into one of the UFC’s most crowded divisions. The UFC kept telling him that it just didn’t have an open spot for him, then, thanks to the fire, a spot opened up. It’s weird to think of it those terms, isn’t it? To think that something good might happen to you because something bad happened to someone else, it’s vaguely unnerving. It’s also how life works out sometimes. If you’re Salas, you might as well make the most of it.VII. I can’t say for sure that Dave Herman was the first fighter to rock the pink scarf on a shirtless, hairy torso at a UFC weigh-in. What I can say with some measure of confidence is that, even if someone else did it first, Herman probably did it best. Anyone with both fashion sense and hair on his shoulders is someone I don’t want to fight. Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you, Stefan Struve.VIII. One way or another, I don’t see Stipe Miocic and Phillip De Fries going more than one round. That’s always a fairly safe bet with heavyweights, but between Miocic’s hands and De Fries’ submissions, my guess is that someone will slip early and pay for it dearly. Oddsmakers think it’ll be Miocic left standing at the end, and I think they’re probably right. His UFC debut against Beltran was the first time he’d ever gone the distance in MMA. I doubt he’s looking to make a habit of it.

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The counter-programming battle continues. Tonight as the UFC runs their UFC on Fuel TV show headlined by Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger in a key Welterweight fight, Spike TV will host "Fight Night on Spike Featuring Diego Sanchez" - a Diego Sanchez themed UFC Unleashed marathon. The Spike programming begins at 7 p.m. ET and will include Sanchez's fights with Clay Guida, Paulo Thiago, and David Bielkheden, along with various other non-Diego fights. This isn't the first time Spike has counter-programmed new UFC content with related archival content. Since the UFC left Spike at the end of 2012, their former home has repeatedly used their rights to the UFC library to try and pull viewers in on UFC live event nights, often focusing on the fighters who will be seen live that night. This Sanchez offering might be particularly successful as the UFC's show tonight is on Fuel TV, a channel in roughly one third the houses of Spike. Despite Fuel offering a free preview this week, there are going to be a lot of UFC fans who find themselves unable to watch tonight's fights. If those fans are craving some UFC, Spike has a perfect alternative for them. Smart move by Spike as they look to capitalize on Fuel's current weakness in the market. For more on your options tonight, check out How To Watch UFC On Fuel TV Live Tonight. SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel TV

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Jake Ellenberger picked Diego Sanchez apart for two rounds and hung on late to win by a unanimous decision at UFC on FUEL TV 1 Wednesday.

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

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The main event of the inaugural UFC on Fuel card will be a grinding welterweight battle. On one side of the cage you have a former top contender who went through some hard times (and an ill-fated drop to lightweight), but looks to be back at the top of his game. On the other side, you have a rising star that is coming off the biggest win of his career and needs a positive result here to possibly earn a rematch with the interim champion of his division. Diego Sanchez (23-4, 12-4 UFC) faces Jake Ellenberger (26-5, 5-1 UFC). Ellenberger is currently ranked at number 3 at welterweight in the USA Today/BE Consensus Rankings, while Sanchez is back in the 12 position. Ellenberger could be in line for a potential title shot and rematch with Carlos Condit with a win, while Sanchez would work his way back into the top 10 and cement himself as a top contender once again. This welterweight UFC on Fuel fight will be the main event of the night, and will be aired live on, what else, Fuel TV. The TV broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. How do these two stack up? Sanchez: 30 years old | 5'10" | 72" reachEllenberger: 26 years old | 5'9" | 73" reach What have these two done recently? Sanchez: W - Martin Kampmann (UD) | W - Paulo Thiago (UD) | L - John Hathaway (UD) Ellenberger: W - Jake Shields (TKO) | W - Sean Pierson (KO) | W - Carlos Eduardo Rocha (SD) How did these two get here? Diego "The Dream" Sanchez was the middleweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 1, and this will be his 17th bout in the organization. He engaged in some of the most memorable UFC fights of 2006 and 2007, but couldn't get over the hump and earn a title shot. A drop to lightweight finally earned him that elusive chance at a belt in late 2009, but he was crushed by champion B.J. Penn and returned back to 170. Some bad lifestyle and investment choices had him down and out for a while, but he has rebounded of late with two straight wins (though the one over Martin Kampmann was iffy at best) and will look to try and claw his way back to the top tier at 170 with a win over Ellenberger tonight. Jake "The Juggernaut" Ellenberger is a native of Omaha (where UFC on Fuel is taking place) and started out in the midwest regional circuit. He also competed in the IFL, Bodog, and Bellator before finally signing with the UFC in mid-2009. Ellenberger's first UFC bout was against current UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit. Jake dropped Condit three times in the first round, but Condit managed to come back and squeak out an extremely close split-decision win. Since then though, Ellenberger has picked up five straight wins, four by KO/TKO, most recently taking out former Strikeforce middleweight champion and top-five welterweight Jake Shields by TKO in just 53 seconds. A win here is vital to maintain Jake's momentum towards a title shot. Why should you care? This is a top-level welterweight bout that will help sort out the confusing 170 pound division as it stands at the moment. Both of these guys like to scrap and are good everywhere, so it should be a very entertaining fight. You can catch more UFC on Fuel preview content from Bloody Elbow after the jump. SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger UFC on Fuel TV: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC On Fuel TV: Stefan Struve Vs. Dave Herman Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC On Fuel TV Sanchez Vs. Ellenberger: Staff Predictions - Matt Roth How To Watch UFC On Fuel TV Live Tonight - Brent Brookhouse Fuel TV Offers Free Preview That Includes UFC on Fuel Event - Tim Burke UFC on Fuel Weigh Results - Everyone On Weight - Tim Burke UFC On Fuel TV: Aaron Simpson Vs. Ronny Markes Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC On Fuel TV: Stipe Miocic Vs. Philip De Fries Dissection - Dallas Winston Why UFC On Fuel TV Is A Bad Strategic Move - Fraser Coffeen UFC On Fuel: Sanchez Vs. Ellenberger Betting Lines - Tim Burke UFC On Fuel TV: Jake Ellenberger Receives Key To The City Of Omaha - Matt Roth UFC On Fuel TV: T.J. Dillashaw Vs. Walel Watson Dissection - Dallas Winston UFC On Fuel TV: Facebook Preliminary Card Dissection - Dallas Winston Diego Sanchez And The Dangerous Road Of Sports Fame - Brent Brookhouse UFC on Fuel: Welterweight Division State of the Union - Fraser Coffeen

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The road Diego Sanchez traveled to get to Jake Ellenberger has been an excitement-filled path featuring some of the most memorable showings in UFC history. In honor of his journey to stardom, the first network fans ever caught glimpse of Sanchez on is airing a number of his highlights in the form of Spike TV’s UFC Unleashed marathon (capped off by the Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale where Sanchez collided with Clay Guida in a Fight of the Year contender). Other fights scheduled to be shown include Sanchez’s victories over David Bielkheden and Paulo Thiago. Sanchez Ready to Go to War with Ellenberger Beyond that the series will also feature fights from Chris Leben, Alan Belcher, Anderson Silva, Joe Stevenson, Chris Lytle, Nate Diaz, and many more. Things start up this afternoon at 3:00 PM EST and run until midnight. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: fight, spike tv, sanchez, clay guida, year contender

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Tonight (Feb. 15, 2012), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) top welterweight contenders Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger will take to the cage for the main event of UFC on FUEL TV in Omaha, Nebraska. The "dream" match up will see Sanchez doing his best to notch his third win in a row. Most recently, he picked up a unanimous decision victory over Martin Kampmann at UFC on Versus 3 back on March 3, 2011, in Louisville, Kentucky. A win for his opponent, Ellenberger, would make a whopping sixth in a row. In his last outing, "The Juggernaut" put a serious beatdown on Jake Shields en route to a first round technical knockout win at UFC Fight Night 25 on Sept. 17, 2011, in New Orleans, Louisiana. All of the momentum will come to a head when the two meet in the Octagon tonight. Something's got to give. After the jump, we'll examine who will hold the statistical edge when the cage door is closed at UFC on FUEL TV: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger." The mixed martial arts (MMA) numbers fanatics at CompuStrike took the time to analyze 16 of Diego Sanchez's fights, as well as six of Jake Ellenberger's and collect the data so we could share it with you here on MMAmania.com. An MMA bout is comprised of many different disciplines and facets. The new breed of mixed martial artist has to be prepared for any place the fight may take him (or her). Every MMA fight starts in the standing position. Let's take a look at who may have the advantage in this portion of the fight: Total Strikes: Sanchez -- 49 of 111Ellenberger -- 38 of 72Percentage: Sanchez -- 44 percentEllenberger -- 53 percent Total Power Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 34 Ellenberger -- 17 Total Non-Power Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 15Ellenberger -- 21 Most of those numbers are pretty even. Ellenberger gets the nod for accuracy, while Sanchez eeks him out in the power category. However, it's important to note that Ellenberger holds 17 (technical) knockout wins in his career. Sanchez has six. Let's break down the striking picture a bit further and look at the arm strikes: Total Arm Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 24 of 70Ellenberger -- 10 of 26 Percentage of Arm Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 34 percentEllenberger -- 39 percent Power Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 16Ellenberger -- 5 Non-Power Strikes Landed Sanchez -- 8Ellenberger -- 5 This looks about the same as the overall striking statistics. More power strikes for Sanchez, but again, Ellenberger has far more knockouts. The striking comparison starts to make a bit more sense when we look at the leg striking aspect of each fighter. Let's check it out: Total Leg Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 3 of 7Ellenberger -- 7 of 9Percentage of Leg Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 43 percentEllenberger -- 78 percentPower Leg Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 2Ellenberger -- 3Non-Power Leg Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 1Ellenberger -- 4 Ellenberger has knees and kicks that are always potentially dangerous. Though he may not be knocking guys out with head kicks, he uses his leg strikes well to set up punches that have been known to put many a fighter to sleep. Finally, there's the ground game. One would assume that this fight will be a stand up brawl, but you never know. Anything can happen in MMA, right? Who has the edge on the ground? Let's see: Ground Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 22 of 34Ellenberger -- 21 of 37Percentage: Sanchez -- 65 percentEllenberger -- 57 percentPower Ground Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 16Ellenberger -- 9 Non-Power Ground Strikes Landed: Sanchez -- 6Ellenberger -- 12 Takedowns: Sanchez -- 22 of 92 (24 percent)Ellenberger -- 13 of 19 (68 percent)Submission Attempts: Sanchez -- 17Ellenberger -- 3Dominant Positions: Sanchez -- 18Ellenberger -- 1 Ellenberger has been shown to be more accurate with his takedowns, but Sanchez is attempting to shoot much more frequently. Once it gets to the canvas, Sanchez continues to be much busier and should be the more comfortable of the two if this fight heads south. It's also important to note that Sanchez owns nine submission wins to Ellenberger's mere one. It looks like the key to this fight for Ellenberger is to keep things standing and try to avoid playing into Sanchez's frenetic and chaotic pace. Sanchez certainly won't be afraid to stand in the pocket and trade, but don't be surprised if we see him shoot fairly early in this fight. What do you think, Maniacs? Do these numbers sway you at all? Who will you be staking your reputation and hard-earned money on in this high level welterweight match up? For everything else you need to know about the clash between Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger, be sure to check out our complete fight archive right here.

Posted in: fight, ellenberger, leg, sanchez, strike

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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

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Don't get Fuel TV, but still fiending for your Diego Sanchez fix after his year long absence? Have no fear, Spike TV has got you covered.Tonight, Wednesday, February 15th, Spike TV brings you "The Dream" marathon, featuring some of Sanchez's most memorable battles inside the octagon.The winner of the UFC's inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, Sanchez has built an impressive 23-4 record as a professional, winning multiple "Fight of the Night" and "Fight of the Year" honors along the way. From

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As the saying goes, every fight in the UFC is the most important of a fighter's career. That's true whether you're contending for a title or making your UFC debut. There may be no gold up for grabs at UFC on FUEL TV in Omaha, Nebraska, but that doesn't mean tonight's fights aren't about something more than a win or loss on a fighter's record. Let's take a closer look at what tonight's fighters face at this moment in their careers. Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez You don't get many climbs up the welterweight ladder. This is Ellenberger's moment to capitalize on the momentum he's been building. Lose it now and he could very easily never get it again. It's not clear whether a win over Sanchez would get him a title shot. He could just as easily face the winner of Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks and maybe even Martin Kampmann vs. Thiago Alves. If the method of victory over Sanchez is dominant or uniquely impressive, that could also affect whom he faces next. The key is this: he's one or two wins away from the opportunity of a lifetime. Sanchez, by contrast, probably would not be considered for a title shot with a win over Ellenberger. 'The Juggernaut' has put together a better streak and that's enough of a difference to earn matchmaking preference. Still, a win over Ellenberger could arguably place Sanchez back in the top 10 of the division. Most importantly, we need to see what's left of Sanchez's game. He got by Martin Kampmann with dubious judging after absorbing a tremendous amount of punishment. The win was outstanding, but it wasn't a showcase of technical ability. A fighter can go far willing themselves to victory and Sanchez is living proof. Over time, however, skills win fights. What Sanchez needs to demonstrate is that his skills at welterweight are on par with the surging Ellenberger. If he can do that and win in the process, Sanchez would be back in the 170-pound division in a major way. Dave Herman vs. Stefan Struve Neither is clamoring for a shot with Junior dos Santos or any of the division's elite just yet and who can blame them? They've both got some issues to iron out. Struve admitted his own poor risk management has caused him to lose fights he shouldn't have. He's been up and down in the UFC heavyweight division, but he most recently earned a win over Pat Barry at UFC on Versus 6. Beating Herman is a nice feather in the cap, but what is most important is how he does it. He needs to abandon the kamikaze style for a more measured approach, but not one so suffocating he ends up being less offensively potent. If he wants to go anywhere in this division, he's got to show more than physical maturation. Strategy matters and he needs to prove he can execute an effective game plan where strategy is evident. For Herman, it's hard to know what his ceiling is. He's clearly an athletic heavyweight of considerable talent, but a bit of a head case. He, too, has maturity issues. That's why this fight is so intriguing. Both will be tempted by their own reckless inclinations as well as the bad habits of the other to eschew strategy. For Herman and Struve alike, this fight is less about collecting scalps and more about demonstrating that tactics and strategy are a real priority for them. Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes There is no debate about it: the middleweight division is one of MMA's thinnest. That's why it's exciting and intriguing when a blue chip light heavyweight prospect makes the move to 185 pounds to forward his career. For Nova Uniao's Markes, the sky appears to be the limit. Beating Simpson would be a very commendable achievement. Simpson's talents are lopsided towards wrestling, but in that space they're potent. If Markes can effectively shutdown Simpson's game enough to stifle the Arizonian and in turn use his offensive weapons, he'll be passing a key test in a prospect's development. Simpson, at age 37, is apparently past some health-related issues and says he feels as good as new. He also believes he can compete for years to come. He's probably being candid, but physical decline as an athlete can best be mapped by a negative exponential decline, not an arithmetic one. You never know when it will hit, but rest assured when it does time is short. If Simpson feels as physically good as he says he does, he needs to do everything possible to maximize his exposure. Win big enough and do media well enough to get better opponents on bigger stages for bigger paydays. He's not on a contenders path right now - the best one to gain aforementioned attention and riches - but beating Markes in impressive fashion is a good first step on that road. Stipe Miocic vs. Philip De Fries As far as the MMA cognoscenti is concerned, Miocic is the one to watch. A former Division I wrestler and Golden Gloves boxing champion, Miocic has entered the UFC with a fair amount of hype. He turned in a capable performance against Joey Beltran in his UFC debut, but needs to show more of his skills and killer instinct to truly impress. Against a talented but limited fighter in De Fries, tonight presents the perfect opportunity to do exactly that. De Fries, on the other hand, is something of an afterthought. Beating a monitored prospect like Miocic isn't like Gabriel Gonzaga shaking the foundations of MMA by head kicking Mirko 'Cro Cop', but it could be a nice way to force the rest of the MMA world to pay closer attention to him. When fans and media pay closer attention, UFC brass are much more likely to set them up with bigger opportunities. T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson This is a dangerous fight for two noteworthy prospects. Dillashaw comes in with Team Alpha Male backing and a menacing skill set. Yet, he fell short against John Dodson in his UFC debut. He seems to have all the potential in the world and desperately needs to avoid going 0-2 to start his UFC career. I'm sure he's mentally tough, but that kind of rough kick off to such a critical stage of a fighter's career can play head games. Best to avoid that by getting through Watson. Watson, too, needs dropping two straight. The UFC is rumored to be cutting the size of their bantamweight and featherweight divisions. Losing two straight is no way to be sure you'll stick around even if the losses come to credible opposition. Then again, beating a strong wrestler when you're primarily a striker also sends a powerful message about how far you can go in this game. It's up to Watson to figure out which message he'll convey. Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert Albert is being widely discounted here, although not for totally unfounded reasons. Menjivar is a serious talent and experienced fighter. He's a handful for anyone in the division. As a result, a win by Albert would be a nice signature victory and a serious statement about his upside in a very deep bantamweight talent pool. I've long considered Menjivar to be the sleeper of the bantamweight division. If the critics and oddsmakers are right, this is not much more than a tune up fight for 'The Pride of El Salvador'. Certainly a win would be a setback, but this is more about getting the right kind of performance out of himself for a subsequently bigger and more lucrative challenge. From the undercard: - Jonathan Brookins desperately needs to avoid a loss tonight. Dropping two consecutive fights since going back to featherweight puts him in a precarious place. If you consider his lose to Jose Aldo at WEC 36, a loss would mean he's never won at 145 pounds under the Zuffa banner. With limited roster availability at bantamweight, this sends all the wrong messages to UFC brass. That's especially true since his opponent, Vagner Rocha, has a limited skill set he should be able to overcome.

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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.

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Watch out Georges St. Pierre Carlos Condit. If longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight veteran Diego Sanchez beats Jake Ellenberger in tonight's UFC on Fuel TV main event in Omaha, does it earn him a shot at the division title? Yes! That's according to "The Dream," who told media members at the "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" open workouts that his opponent is one of the top guys in their weight class and beating "The Juggernaut" puts him above the other top division contenders. Sanchez elaborates to FOX News Latino, after the jump. "You know, this is a big fight with Jake Ellenberger because I believe he is one of the top guys in the division," Sanchez said at a recent open workout. "He has more momentum than a [Josh] Koscheck or a [Johny] Hendricks right now, and I think a win over him is going to set me up in a good position in the division and a shot at the title. I have to go in and beat him and I have to beat him convincingly and that's what I came to Omaha to do," said Sanchez. "There's no added pressure fighting him in his hometown." Sanchez is currently riding a two-fight win streak since returning to the division after a failed bid to wrest the 155-pound title from the clutches of then UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn at UFC 107 back in Dec. 2009. He stumbled in his first fight back at welterweight, dropping a unanimous decision to John Hathaway, but managed to later go on to outpoint Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann in back-to-back performances. It certainly won't get any easier for Sanchez -- who is returning from a long layoff because of a broken hand -- against Ellenberger, who is on an absolute tear, fresh off a crushing knockout over top-ranked welterweight and former number one division contender, Jake Shields, at UFC Fight Night 25. It marked the fourth time in his five most recent appearances inside the Octagon that Ellenberger has finished an opponent, taking out Mike Pyle, John Howard and Sean Pierson in impressive fashion. And if he makes it five out of six against Sanchez, he'll do it in front of a hometown crowd. Anyone ready to anoint the winner as the new division number one contender?

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Jake Ellenberger extended his winning streak to six, after defeating Diego Sanchez via Unanimous Decision at UFC on Fuel TV 1. Once again, "The Juggernaut" displayed improved striking skills that gave him the edge against Sanchez. Ellenberger managed to hurt the former UFC Lightweight title challengers with knees and striking combinations, resulting in open cuts on Diego Sanchez's face. Ellenberger was also able to knock down Sanchez on several occasions, but tough-as-nails "Dream" managed to weather the

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One week ago, it seemed like the direction of the welterweight division was set, with interim champ Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz headed for a rematch, and linear champ Georges St. Pierre likely to face the winner. But everything was thrown into chaos when Diaz flunked his post-UFC 143 drug test.Out of disarray may come opportunity for the UFC on FUEL main event winner. Jake Ellenberger (26-5) seemingly became an overnight success story when he knocked out Jake Shields last September, but he's quietly labored away in the MMA game for nearly seven years. A win over Diego Sanchez will certainly make the UFC consider him as the next challenger for Condit as long as Condit decides not to sit on the sidelines and wait for St. Pierre. Ellenberger's success has been predicated on his crushing power and a fast-developing all-around game. Once primarily thought of as a wrestler, his standup skills have sharpened to the point where he's become comfortable standing up with anyone, and for long stretches of time.Each of his last two knockouts have come from the standup, but exhibited his versatility. The Shields KO came during a clinch, with Ellenberger taking advantage of a momentary mistake by Shields to secure a Muay Thai plum and land a knee to the face.Against Sean Pierson, Ellenberger scored the damaging blow from distance, stepping into a left hook that knocked Pierson unconscious. His striking evolution has fueled his rise up the ladder of contenders. A former collegiate wrestler, Ellenberger always has those skills to fall back on, but adding the extra element into his game has made him much more difficult to prepare for. Besides that, he's not just raw power. The refinements he's made to his punches and kicks have added technical proficiencies that make him capable of out-striking many of the division's best.At least from a statistical perspective, Ellenberger has the advantage on Sanchez in the standup department. According to FightMetric, Ellenberger lands at a higher rate (45 percent to 38 percent) and suffers far less punishment (he only absorbs 1.44 strikes per minute as opposed to Sanchez's 2.3). The only edge Sanchez holds is in sheer volume, as he throws far more strikes than Ellenberger during an average round.Surprisingly, wrestling-wise, the numbers are even more lopsided. While Sanchez contends that wrestling is his base, he has struggled mightily in that department overall, completing just 22 percent of takedowns, and stopping only 49 percent of takedowns against him. Meanwhile, Ellenberger puts his target on his back 74 percent of the time while his opponents have only a 10 percent success rate against him.Numbers don't tell the whole story of course, so it's worth pointing out that Sanchez (23-4) has faced better opposition during the course of his career. While Ellenberger's win over Shields marked his first top 10 opposition, Sanchez has had several such contests dating back years, from Josh Koscheck to Jon Fitch to BJ Penn and more.That said, most of Sanchez's success comes from his unrelenting pace. When he's at his best, he's overwhelming an opponent with pressure and pace. That makes stamina one of his best weapons. As we saw in his most recent fight, a close and controversial decision over Martin Kampmann, his activity can make the difference. In that fight, Sanchez was out-landed in total strikes 79-51 according to FightMetric, and landed only 1 of 15 takedown tries but somehow won. How did he do it? Unrelenting pressure. While Kampmann was busy firing off jabs that landed, Sanchez was throwing power shots with even greater frequency. And even though Kampmann out-landed Sanchez, right or wrong, the impression left on the judges was that Sanchez's hard punches did more than Kampmann's precision. Given the state of judging, that type of outcome is always a real concern. One trend worth noting is that Sanchez has his most trouble with disciplined strikers that don't back down from his work rate. Kampmann knocked him down once. John Hathaway upset him with his precision. Penn used his fearless approach to school Sanchez on the finer points of striking in one of the all-time title fight maulings. Ellenberger has that kind of presence. He shows no fear of pace or power, and given his wrestling background, he's not likely to be overwhelmed by Sanchez's pressure there. In fact, he's likely to be the better man in that department and is far more likely to be the one landing successful takedowns. Ellenberger's ground and pound is savage. Go back and re-watch some of his finishing sequences and it's easy to see that he built his attack from the ground up. Sanchez advantages in this fight can probably be boiled down to his jiu-jitsu as well as his scrambling abilities. But he hasn't finished an opponent with a choke or lock since 2004, and Ellenberger has only one tapout loss in his career. Sanchez also hasn't spent much time on his back during his UFC career. The last time he spent any considerable time in that position came against Jon Fitch in 2007 and that didn't end well for him. It's a scenario that's likely to materialize against Ellenberger. One final note. Sanchez likes to fight in tight, swarming his foe in the process. There isn't any real transition into it. He just ducks his head and comes forward, sometimes behind a basic combination, but often behind nothing. That will amount to a suicide charge against Ellenberger's power. Sanchez's heart can never be discounted, but nearly everything else in the fight favors Ellenberger. This fight isn't particularly close, but it should be exciting while it lasts. Ellenberger by second-round TKO.

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Diego Sanchez promised MMA fans aound the world to bring "the dogfight that they didn't get to see in the last Pay-Per-View", referring to the UFC 143 encounter between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. Sanchez spoke one-on-one with Jake Ellenberger, who gave labeled The Dream as a "true warrior", also promising an exciting bout, tonight in Omaha, Nebraska. Submit your

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

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Diego Sanchez opened up to HeavyMMA's Duane Finley on his spirituality, his triumph over a hard-partying lifestyle and why he wants to fight teammate Carlos Condit.

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LowKick.com Staff share their predictions for tonight's UFC on Fuel TV bouts between Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger, and Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman.

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Watch Tuesday’s UFC on Fuel “Ellenberger vs. Sanchez” weigh-in video here

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I was disappointed with my performance in my UFC 143 prediction column , so I spent Sunday dealing with it in the same way I’m sure Nick Diaz did – retail therapy at the World Market. Is there any pain that wicker furniture can’t make go away?There will be twenty fighters looking to avoid the warming embrace of wicker this Wednesday as the Ultimate Fighting Championship rolls into Omaha, Nebraska for UFC on FUEL TV. The main event pits Diego “The Dream” Sanchez against the “Juggernaut” Jake Ellenberger. It’s Sanchez’ first fight since last March when he took on Martin Kampmann and ended up looking like this. I was front row with Pat Barry for that fight and trust me, it was worse in person – struck to our cores, we both called our mothers and told them that we loved them.Ivan Menjivar vs. John AlbertThe main card kicks off with “The Pride of El Salvador” Ivan Menjivar against John “Prince” Albert. This is the classic veteran against the exciting TUF-tested prospect matchup. TPoES has been in the MMA game for over 10 years and has fought every bantamweight worth mentioning (plus random guys like “GSP” and “Urijah” at various weights in smaller promotions). Albert -- while falling in the quarterfinals of TUF 14 -- made his mark knocking out Dustin Pague in 69 seconds at the finale.Prediction: I have to go with the veteran on this one. Some might say it’s my anti-novelty-body-piercing bias, but as a responsible journalist, I assure you that is not the case. Menjivar just has too much for Albert to handle. He’ll push the pace and not give Albert the chance to get comfortable. Menjivar by TKO in the 2nd TJ Dillashaw vs. Walel WatsonIn the second bantamweight brawl of the night, Team Alpha Male male and TUF finalist T.J. Dillashaw goes up against Walel “The Gazelle” Watson. Dillashaw looks to rebound from a well-placed left hook that cost him the TUF crown. Bantamweight Watson, graced with a rare-for-the-weight-class 5’11” frame, is well versed in submissions, with 7 of his 9 wins coming from tapout.Prediction: I’ve watched enough Animal Planet to realize that whenever there’s a gazelle on TV, it’s usually bad news for that gazelle. Submission skills are important, but as the recent Maia/Weidman fight showed us, they can be neutralized by strong wrestling and that’s what exactly will happen here. Dillashaw will get the takedown, get position, get control and get the decision. On the bright side, unlike his Animal Planet counterparts, at least Watson will get to keep his entrails.Stipe Miocic vs. Phil De FriesThe next bout features a showdown between undefeated heavyweights. Collegiate wrestler and Golden Gloves champion Stipe Miocic looks to give British BJJ purple belt Phillip De Fries his first loss. Prediction: I don’t surprise easily (unless you count the cancelling of “All My Children”), but I would be shocked if this fight went the distance. Both fighters are dangerous, strong competitors. The difference here will come to boxing and that’s where Miocic will use his superiority and wind up with the 1st-round TKO. (That, incidentally, will give him as many wins as Erica Kane has husbands.)Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny MarkesArizona State wrestler Aaron has been riding his “A-Train” to a three-fight win streak. Ronny Markes is a well-rounded fighter from Brazil who boasts an impressive 12-1 record beating opponents by knockout and submission. Prediction: I learned my lesson last week betting against the Brazilians, and I won’t make that mistake again. Simpson has been steadily evolving into an MMA fighter instead of a wrestler who fights. Having said that, he still has had a hard time putting guys away. Markes has more firepower and – unless his debut drop to middleweight was too taxing – ends this one in the 3rd.Stefan Struve vs. Dave HermanJust 23 years old, Stefan Struve is making his 10th appearance in the UFC – thanks for making the rest of us look bad, Stef. The 6-foot-11 “Skyscraper” is looking to run his record 7-3 to the organization. Meanwhile Dave (as in vs. Goliath) Herman, made a successful Fight of the Night debut in June against the massive John-Olav Einemo, and here he’s looking to topple another giant opponent.Prediction: The secret word is “distance.” Struve’s biggest weakness in his fights has been his inability to use his height effectively, and I see this trend continuing. Herman will be able to get inside those long limbs and deliver some punishment. Plus, by fight time, the temperature will be near freezing in Omaha. Struve may have that hardy Dutch blood, but never underestimate the usefulness of body fur.Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger In the main event of the evening, we’ve got two fighters seeking to step up the welterweight ladder. Jake Ellenberger has won his last five fights, the most recent being a strong TKO over Jake Shields. Diego Sanchez returns to the Octagon since that aforementioned bloodbath with Kampmann left him convalescing for a few months. Prediction: Tony Robbins may have helped Diego attain a new outlook on life, but it won’t improve the outlook at the end of an Ellenberger fist. Even The Dream’s solid chin won’t be a problem for The Juggernaut. Ellenberger gets the hometown-boy win and puts Sanchez away in the 2nd. I just hope this fight doesn’t make me want to curl up in the fetal position like the last one did.As another issue of the Downes Side closes, be sure to follow me on Twitter @dannyboydownes and comment on the article. Last time the comments section heated up and I was challenged to a fight for the rights to the column. Pistols at dawn? A game of chicken with farming equipment like in the movie “Footloose” perhaps? I’ll let the people decide.

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UFC on Fuel TV: "Ellenberger vs. Sanchez" is all set to pop off tomorrow night (Weds., Feb. 15, 2012) from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb., featuring a welterweight bout between Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez. The winner of the match could have the inside track on a future fight against newly-crowned 170-pound champion, Carlos Condit, while reigning division kingpin, Georges St. Pierre, continues to recover from recent knee surgery. An exciting heavyweight showdown between Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman is also on tap, serving as the co-main event for the first-ever complete mixed martial arts (MMA) event to be featured on the FOX-owned network. Before we can get to the good stuff, however, every one of the competitors on tomorrow night's UFC on Fuel TV fight card had to hit the scales in the "Gateway to the West" to make sure they aren't carrying any extra baggage. Thankfully, none of them are and all 10 bouts are now official. After the jump, you can check out photos (via UFC.com) from today's UFC on FUEL TV weigh-in event. For complete results click here, for staredowns click here and to watch the full UFC on FUEL TV weigh-in video click here. Jake Ellenberger Diego Sanchez Stefan Struve Ronny Markes Aaron Simpson Walel Watson T.J. Dillashaw Phil De Fries Stipe Miocic Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on FUEL TV, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on Facebook scheduled for around 6:20 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the main card action as it happens throughout the evening tomorrow night!

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The UFC’s debut on FOX-owned Fuel TV appears poised to go off without a hitch after all twenty competitors set for action at tomorrow night’s event came in on weight meaning the show will take place as scheduled. UFC on Fuel: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger prelims start at 6:00 PM EST on Facebook with main card collisions firing up at 8:00 PM EST on Fuel TV. The show is headlined by bout between welterweight contenders Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger who both came in at 170 pounds on the dot. Sanchez and Ellenberger are both in the midst of winning streaks, have finished the majority of the foes they’ve felled, and each only been stopped a single time despite fighting more than 25 times. Heavyweights Stefan Struve and Dave Herman were not so similarly sized, as the 6’11” Struve came in at 256 pounds with “Pee Wee” Herman measuring up at 234 ticks. Look below for a video of Ellenberger-Sanchez’s staredown as well as a list of weigh-in results: Tim Means (155 lbs) vs. Bernardo Magalhaes (155 lbs) Buddy Roberts (184 lbs) vs. Sean Loeffler (185 lbs) Anton Kuivanen (156 lbs) vs. Justin Salas (155 lbs) Jonathan Brookins (145 lbs) vs. Vagner Rocha (145 lbs) Ivan Menjivar (135 lbs) vs. John Albert (135 lbs) T.J. Dillashaw (136 lbs) vs. Walel Watson (135 lbs) Aaron Simpson (186 lbs) vs. Ronny Markes (185 lbs) Stipe Miocic (240 lbs) vs. Philip De Fries (241 lbs) Stefan Struve (256 lbs) vs. Dave Herman (234 lbs) Diego Sanchez (170 lbs) vs. Jake Ellenberger (170 lbs) PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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Welterweights Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger have more in common than simply the fact they’ll be standing in the same Octagon tomorrow night in headlining action at UFC on Fuel 1. Rather, both Sanchez and Ellenberger have not only shown themselves to be extremely difficult to finish but tend to end opponents’ evenings more often than not when it comes to scoring a victory. All told, Sanchez has earned stoppages in 15 of his 23 total wins while Ellenberger has put away 22 of 26. Meanwhile, each has only fallen a single time outside of scorecards with Sanchez’s being cut-based and Ellenberger’s a submission from more than four years ago. Sanchez Considers Ellenberger to Be the “Chuck Liddell” of the Welterweight Division The UFC on Fuel 1 main event is the type of match-up that not only gets fans’ blood pumping but also Sanchez’s as he revealed in an interview with the UFC promoting the show. “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 kinds of fights. That’s why I signed up,” said Sanchez of Ellenberger, adding, “Nothing else really matters. It’s what we’ve done in our training camps and the choices we’ve made as men that are gonna carry us through the fight.” Make sure to tune in to UFC on Fuel 1 when it starts on Facebook at 6:00 PM EST with featured action starting on Fuel two hours later. Check out the interview below: PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

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Diego Sanchez was the man to watch during today's UFC on FUEL 1 weigh-in. In this ever evolving sport, welterweights are getting bigger and bigger. At 5-foot-9 Sanchez is small for the weight. He looked bloated on fight night for … Continue reading →

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Here's Tuesday's full UFC on Fuel TV 1: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger weigh-in video, courtesy of UFC.com.

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A potential UFC welterweight title contender will be emerging tomorrow night (February 15, 2012) as original Ultimate Fighter Diego Sanchez battles the heavy-hitting Jake Ellenberger in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV in Omaha, Nebraska. Sanchez, a former lightweight title challenger, returned to Greg Jackson's gym and has showcased his tremendous heart in consecutive spirited performances at welterweight. He's trying to become a player at 170 and he will definitely make a statement if he can knock off one of the fastest rising contenders in the division in Ellenberger. Jake Ellenberger is returning to his home state of Nebraska for the first time in over five years, and now he's doing it as a headliner and budding UFC title contender. His 53 second destruction Jake Shields last September exploded him onto the map and now it's time to see if he can keep his momentum rolling as he takes on one of the gutsiest fighters in the UFC. Will Sanchez slay his demons and live his "Dream" with a main event victory? Can Ellenberger potentially earn an interim title shot by slaying Sanchez? How does each man find victory tomorrow night? Let's find out: Diego Sanchez Record: 23-4 overall, 12-4 in the UFC Key Wins: Nick Diaz (The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale), Paulo Thiago (UFC 121), Clay Guida (The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale) Key Losses: John Hathaway (UFC 114), B.J. Penn (UFC 107), Josh Koscheck (UFC 69) How he got here: Diego Sanchez got his start primarily in the King of the Cage circuit, wining his first 11 fights and becoming champion after defeating Jorge Santiago. He entered the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter as a favorite and became a fan favorite with his unique personality and some of his crazy antics. After winning the first season as a middleweight, he dropped down to 170 pounds, defeating the likes of Nick Diaz, Karo Parisyan and Joe Riggs to become a contender, although he was brought back down to earth after consecutive decision losses to both Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch. Undeterred, "The (then) Nightmare" dropped down to lightweight and after two impressive victories over the likes of Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida, he was given a title shot against B.J. Penn. Sanchez gave it his all, but he was outclassed in nearly all areas, losing via doctor stoppage to "The Prodigy." Afterwards, he returned to welterweight and despite suffering a speed bump against John Hathaway, the Greg Jackson-trained fighter bounced back against Paulo Thiago and then scored a close and controversial decision victory over Martin Kampmann. After getting injured in preparation for a fight with Matt Hughes, Sanchez is back and ready to take on Jake Ellenberger, one of the most powerful and dangerous welterweights on the planet. How he gets it done: To win this fight, Sanchez is going to have to rely on two of the things that he has an advantage of against just about everyone he faces, pure heart and incredible conditioning. "The Dream" can't afford to sit back and fight Ellenberger's fight. He's got to be highly aggressive, get in Ellenberger's face and force the hometown fighter to play more defensive. If Sanchez can get out of the first round, and he's never had an issue with that before, the fact that he can make Ellenberger work extremely hard might be enough to put him over the top. Expect constant aggression, takedown attempts and a high volume of ugly-looking punches getting thrown in the direction of his opponent. What matters isn't that he connect or do a significant amount of damage, it's that he makes Ellenberger work and tires him out. By the midway point of the second round, if "The Juggernaut" isn't gasping for breath and looking at the clock, then Sanchez will have failed. But if he does tire Ellenberger out, his wrestling will become much more effective, as will his striking offense. Those crazy punches might not be the most damaging, but they look pretty and they could perhaps help him win a decision like in his last fight. Jake Ellenberger Record: 25-5 overall, 5-1 in the UFC Key Wins: Jake Shields (UFC Fight Night 25), Mike Pyle (UFC 108), Carlos Eduardo Rocha (UFC 126) Key Losses: Carlos Condit (UFC Fight Night 19), Rick Story (SportFight 23) How he got here: Jake Ellenberger won his first 11 fights all by stoppage while fighting primarily in Midwest promotions near his Nebraska home before earning an opportunity to fight in the IFL. He had a rude awakening in his promotional debut, losing a decision to Jay Hieron and he never quite got on track in the promotion, going 2-2 while also mixing in multiple fights with other leagues during his downtime to gain experience. A solid four fight win streak while fighting for M-1 and Bellator earned "The Juggernaut" a trip to the UFC where again, he'd have a tough first fight against current UFC interim welterweight champion Carlos Condit. Ellenberger blasted Condit early with some serious power but "The Natural Born Killer" bounced back to take an extremely close split decision in one of 2009's best fights. Since that loss, Ellenberger has won five straight which includes four stoppage victories due to strikes. The Reign Training Center fighter smashed Sean Pierson at UFC 127 and then followed it up with by far the biggest victory of his career, a 53 second drubbing of former title challenger Jake Shields, stopping him for the first time in over 10 years. With that victory, Ellenberger is poised to potentially contend for the title, but he's got to get past fan favorite Diego Sanchez first. How he gets it done: Jake Ellenberger needs to hurt Diego Sanchez badly standing. The Nebraska native has some of the heaviest hands of any welterweight in the world and he'll definitely need to land them hard if he wants to get the win. Diego Sanchez can take a shot too so if Ellenberger hurts him, he can't let him back to his feet. He needs to swarm him immediately and go for the kill just like he did in his last fight with Jake Shields. The key for Ellenberger will be to land a strike with power during some of Sanchez's wildest exchanges. Sanchez is likely going to be vulnerable early as he's been hurt by fighters like John Hathaway and B.J. Penn in the first round as well as losing the first rframe to Paulo Thiago in all his recent fights. If Sanchez shoots in wildly, "The Juggernaut" needs to instinctually attack with a huge knee, similarly to what he did against Shields. Ellenberger has tremendous power both with his knees and his fists and if he stuns Sanchez, he's got to pounce and finish him off before he zombie-modes his way back into the fight. While Ellenberger was an assistant wrestling coach at Nebraska, it's his striking technique and power which will win him this fight. Fight X-Factor: The biggest X-Factor for this fight has to be the opening round. Diego Sanchez tends to get hit hard early in fights and there's no one that hits harder than Jake Ellenberger right now. If he walks into something or does not utilize proper defense, he's asking for quite a bit of trouble. That being said, if Sanchez gets out of the first round, and if he pushes the type of pace we've come to expect from him, his conditioning could take over to where he can utilize his wrestling and impose his will. It will all come down to how much damage Ellenberger can dish out early, whether he can stop the fight or at least inflict enough punishment to stop Sanchez from being able to take over late. Bottom Line: This fight is going to be a war. Diego Sanchez is an animal and he's not afraid of anyone, even someone as powerful as Jake Ellenberger. I expect both fighters to go at it from start to finish with Sanchez working some big sloppy strikes and takedown attempts while Ellenberger loads up for a huge knee or right hand. There's potential for either a highlight reel stoppage or just an incredible Fight of the Night performance as Sanchez has done that in four of his last six fights. This one should be terrific. Who will come out on top at UFC on Fuel TV: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger?" Tell us your predictions in the comments below! Poll Who will reign supreme in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV tomorrow night? Jake Ellenberger Diego Sanchez   1 votes | Results

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In cased you missed it earlier this afternoon (Tues., Feb. 14, 2012), watch the full UFC on FUEL TV: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" weigh in video above, which took place at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. The first fighter tips the scale around the 10-minute mark. Both fighters scheduled to compete in the main event tomorrow night (Feb. 15, 2012), Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez, hit the welterweight mark on the button, coming in at en even 170 pounds. In fact, all 20 fighters set to compete on the UFC on Fuel TV 1 fight card made weight without incident, including Stefan Struve and Dave Herman, who will collide in a heavyweight showdown in the co-featured fight of the night. For complete UFC on Fuel TV weigh in results click here and for staredown pics click here. And remember, too, that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC on FUEL TV, beginning with the "Prelims" bouts on Facebook scheduled for around 6:20 p.m. ET. In addition, we will also provide LIVE, real-time results of the main card action as it happens throughout the evening this upcoming Wednesday. In the meantime, be sure to check out our complete UFC on Fuel TV 1 event archive right here.

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All 20 fighters on Wednesday's UFC on Fuel card hit their weigh-in marks on Tuesday, including main eventers Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger, who hit 170.

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The UFC on FUEL TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" weigh-in event took place today (Tues., Feb. 14, 2012) in Omaha and that means staredowns with all the major players. That includes the two headliners for tomorrow night's event at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger. For those hoping for some fireworks, sorry, nothing to see here. Sanchez kept it professional, as did the always calm and collected "Juggernaut." Heavyweights Stefan Struve and Dave Herman will hook 'em up in the co-main event of the evening while middleweights Aaron Simpson and Ronny Markes will also collide. See them all stare at each other after the jump. For complete UFC on FUEL TV 1 weigh-in results click here.

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Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger both successfully made weight for their UFC on FUEL main event, along with 18 other fighters, making the Wednesday night show official. The winner could earn a chance to fight interim champion Carlos Condit, though that possibility has so far gone unconfirmed by UFC officials. Ellenberger, who grew up just a few miles from the Omaha (Nebraska) Civic Auditorium and attended both high school and college locally, checked in first at 170, and Sanchez followed at the same weight. "It's definitely exciting to come back here and be near friends and family," Ellenberger said. "I'm extremely excited to get back in there. I'm focused and looking to finish him." Sanchez didn't seem phased by the hometown reaction. "You know what? When they lock the doors, it's just me and him in there, and that's all that matters," he said. In the co-main event matchup, Stefan Struve will have a major size advantage on opponent Dave Herman. The 6-foot-11 Struve weighed in at 256, while the eccentric Herman -- wearing a pink scarf and a black ski hat to go with a dark, bushy beard, came in at 234. Main CardJake Ellenberger (170) vs. Diego Sanchez (170)Dave Herman (234) vs. Stefan Struve (256)Ronny Markes (185) vs. Aaron Simpson (186)Philip De Fries (241) vs. Stipe Miocic (240)T.J. Dillashaw (136) vs. Walel Watson (135)John Albert (135) vs. Ivan Menjivar (135) Preliminary CardJonathan Brookins (145) vs. Vagner Rocha (145)Sean Loeffler (185) vs. Buddy Roberts (184)Anton Kuivanen (156) vs. Justin Salas (155)Bernardo Magalhaes (155) vs. Tim Means (155)

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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

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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.

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Will Jake Ellenberger follow up his destruction of Jake Shields with a similar demolition of Diego Sanchez? Or is Sanchez ready to make the case that he's closing in on welterweight title contention? Can Dave Herman make it two in a row in the UFC heavyweight division? Or is beating Stefan Struve too tall an order for Herman? Can Ronny Markes continue to show that he's one of the best young middleweights in MMA? Or is Aaron Simpson's wrestling too much for Markes? I'll attempt to answer those questions and more as I predict the winners of Wednesday night's UFC on Fuel card below. What: UFC on FUEL TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger When: Wednesday, the Facebook preliminary fights begin at 6:20 PM ET and the FUEL TV card starts at 8. Where: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Nebraska Predictions on the televised fights below. Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger In a UFC welterweight division that is going through some radical changes while Georges St. Pierre is sidelined, this is a big-time fight. Ellenberger has won five in a row and removed any doubt that he's a Top 10 welterweight with his knockout win over Jake Shields. Sanchez is finally ready to return almost a full year after winning a three-round war with Martin Kampmann. This fight should be a lot of fun, and I think Ellenberger will do enough to earn a hard-fought decision. If that's what happens, I'd love to see the UFC give Ellenberger a shot at Carlos Condit's interim welterweight champion; the two of them have some unfinished business after Condit beat Ellenberger by split decision in Ellenberger's UFC debut in 2009. Pick: Ellenberger Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman Herman looked good in his UFC debut and is the favorite to improve to 2-0 inside the Octagon, but I see this one going in Struve's favor. Look for Herman to take Struve down and then live to regret it, as Struve is outstanding at using his long legs to submit opponents off his back. Pick: Struve Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes Markes is an extremely talented 23-year-old Brazilian who is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Karlos Vemola in his UFC debut. I like Markes's future a lot, but at this point in his career I think Simpson is the worst kind of matchup for him, a powerful wrestler who can take him down and stay on top of him. Markes will win plenty of fights in the UFC over the course of his career, but I see Simpson taking a decision here. Pick: Simpson Stipe Miocic vs. Philip De Fries The 7-0 Miocic was a college wrestler who has developed into an impressive striker and has a lot of potential to make some noise in the UFC heavyweight division. The 8-0 De Fries has a good ground game and is a threat to submit Miocic, but I think Miocic's kickboxing will be too much, and De Fries will be the one to suffer his first professional loss. Pick: Miocic T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson Dillashaw is making a quick return after losing in the finale of the last season of The Ultimate Fighter. He's going to have a tough test on his hands against Watson, who's basically the bantamweight version of Struve: A long and lanky fighter who doesn't often excel at using his reach advantage standing up but does a nice job of using his long limbs to submit opponents off his back. That's dangerous for Dillashaw, a good wrestler who will want to put Watson on his back, but I think Dillashaw will be savvy enough to avoid getting caught and win a decision. Pick: Dillashaw Ivan Menjivar vs. John Albert Albert was also a competitor on the last season of The Ultimate Fighter and he had a solid win over Dustin Pague in the Finale. But I don't think he matches up well with Menjivar, a grizzled veteran who has a more well-rounded game than Albert. Pick: Menjivar

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to make its UFC on FUEL TV debut, beginning with its "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" fight card emanating from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. And it all goes down tomorrow night (Feb. 15, 2012) at 8 p.m. ET. Don't forget that UFC on FUEL TV is part of the network's free preview, so there's no excuse to miss out on what should be an exciting night of fights. The abortion at UFC 69 notwithstanding, when was the last time you saw Diego Sanchez in a boring fight? Add his lunacy to the brain-scrambling power of Jake Ellenberger and we have what could be the fight of the night -- or at least an ending violent enough to satisfy the savages in Omaha. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action tomorrow night, which is slated to air at 8 p.m. ET on FUEL TV. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 6 p.m. ET with the preliminary bouts on Facebook. First, let's take a look at the main card match-ups, then we can argue about who's going to win. 170 lbs.: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger Nostradumbass predicts: Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans have a short term memory and it helps when you fight the way Diego Sanchez does. In fact, his entire walkout, followed by his celestial bench-press, gives you the feeling that this dude's crazy enough to win any fight. Not this time. "The Dream" was running roughshod over most of the welterweight division back when he was fighting guys like Joe Riggs, David Bielkheden and Luigi Fioravanti. All of whom, not coincidentally, are no longer employed by ZUFFA. Consecutive losses to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch sent him down to the lightweight division and a five round ass-kicking by B.J. Penn brought him back. His return fight? A lopsided unanimous decision loss to division upstart John Hathaway. True, Paulo Thiago was unprepared for the kind of tenacity Sanchez brings to the cage, but he was positively lit up by Martin Kampmann when they fought back in March 2011. After they sewed his face back together, he somehow convinced the judges he was the better man and moved on to bigger and better things. My point? When you strip away the theatrics and his tornado attack, you have a surprisingly mediocre fighter. He's got decent hands and good jiu-jitsu, but he's essentially a one-trick pony who hasn't finished a fighter in nearly four years. He's successful because he can pressure guys and unleash hell while simultaneously absorbing whatever offense they put forth in the process. The problem is he's not going to absorb anything from Jake Ellenberger without going ass over tin cups. "The Juggernaut" is 9-1 over his last ten fights with six violent finishes and that one defeat? A razor thin split decision loss to current Interim Champion Carlos Condit -- in a fight he took on eight days notice. The reason I'm taking Ellenberger for the win is because he's on an upward trajectory and has shown consistent improvement as he's climbed his way up the welterweight ladder. Sanchez, while entertaining, has shown nothing but the same old dog and pony show he's always had. In tomorrow night's main event, it won't be nearly enough. Prediction: Ellenberger def. Sanchez via technical knockout 265 lbs.: Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman Nostradumbass predicts: I think we all know the Stefan Struve formula by now: String together a handful of wins over lower-tier competition, then get KTFO by an established veteran. If you can beat the scrubs but can't beat the elite, that makes you a bona fide gatekeeper. Historically, he's gotten a pass for coming up empty in the big spot because of his age, but I think as the clock ticks on, it's getting harder and harder to say, "Wait until this kid evolves!" We're going on seven years and 28 fights -- I think we have a pretty good idea of what we're gonna get. A loss to Dave Herman would be catastrophic for his position in this division, because he was able to get back into the thick of things with his submission win over fan favorite Pat Barry. But can he pull another rabbit out of his hat if he gets in trouble against "Pee Wee?" He may not need to. In a comparison of skill sets, I've got to favor Herman. He's finished 20 of 21 wins and while he's not exactly been sampling the top shelf, he's far more consistent in his performances and he doesn't find himself in trouble as much as Struve does. "Skyscraper" has a tendency to come from behind while Herman usually never lets himself get behind. The Dutchman wins this bout, however, because Herman will run out of gas after a commanding first round. So commanding, in fact, that he'll have nothing left to give in rounds two and three and get picked apart by Struve's lanky limbs and stinging jab. Prediction: Struve def. Herman via unanimous decision 185 lbs.: Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes Nostradumbass predicts: Remember when Aaron Simpson was the next big thing at middleweight? He was 7-0 with six finishes until he got his cranium cracked by Chris Leben. That, followed by his unanimous decision loss to Mark Munoz and "A-Train" all but fell off the map. Since then, he's quietly assembled a three-fight winning streak to go 3-0 in 2011. The reason nobody's jumping for joy is because they were all unanimous decisions and his opponents were all middle-of-the-pack'ers. That's not to suggest he's any less dangerous than he was in 2010, but what's missing is his killer instinct. No more. Markes is a terrific talent and has a great balance of finishes between knockouts and submissions, but outside of Karlos Vemola, who was making his 185-pound debut, there isn't a name on his record that makes me nervous heading into "The Big O." Please, for your own sake, don't say Paulo Filho. Simpson is no spring chicken but like a lot of fighters on this card, he's got some serious mat cred from his days as a college wrestler, being named All American on two separate occasions to go along with his four high school state championships. In short, this guy knows how to wrestle. If he can remember how to finish, this fight belongs to him. Markes will provide his toughest test since Mark Munoz, but I think Simpson powers through it and gets the judges to see things his way. Prediction: Simpson def. Markes via unanimous decision 265 lbs.: Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic Nostradumbass predicts: If you could create a fantasy MMA fighter, you would likely take a guy with great wrestling who can also knock your block off. Ladies and Germs, meet Stipe Miocic. Not only was he a NCAA Division I wrestler, he was also a Golden Gloves Champion prior to his UFC exploits. That's bad news for Philip De Fries. Like his opponent, the Brit is also undefeated and has made a mockery of most guys on the mat and there's no question his biggest asset is the ground game. But how do you get a collegiate wrestling standout to the ground and keep him there? That's the problem he must solve -- and he must solve it before Miocic can take his head off with one of his brutal kicks or head-snapping hooks. I'm not sure how possible it is and it has me leaning towards an unhappy ending for De Fries. If he does keep himself out of the red zone, cardio could play a major role in this fight. Neither fighter is entirely familiar with the third round, each having been there just one time in previous bouts. Ultimately, I don't think it will get that far, as Miocic keeps himself upright, initiates his striking attack and ends it with punches midway through the second. Prediction: Miocic def. De Fries via technical knockout 135 lbs.: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson Nostradumbass predicts: Dillashaw was criticized for playing it safe on the last season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), but his gameplanning earned him a trip to the finals opposite John Dodson. Unfortunately, he failed to respect the heavy hands of the "Magician" and his six-figure contract promptly disappeared. I know there's been a lot of boo-hooing about their fight getting stopped too early, but the way I see it, if you don't end up in a heap on the canvas, you'll never have to worry about the ref waving off your opponent prematurely. Having said that, this is a fight designed to get him back into the bantamweight picture because Walel Watson, despite his pair of knockout wins, is more of a ground fighter and is likely training jits to prepare for Dillashaw's wrestling. I don't think it's outrageous to suggest that a strong wrestler with suffocating top control can likely stay out of most submissions, even from the most experienced grappler. After all, there was a reason Chris Weidman was such a heavy favorite over Demian Maia at UFC on FOX 2. To that end, we have to look at accomplishments. Following a successful high school wrestling campaign that ended with a 170-33 record, Dillashaw was an NCAA Division I standout and at one point was ranked as high as tenth in the nation in his weight class. He also trains at Team Alpha Male with a couple of guys you may have heard of named Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez. As for Watson? Well, uh, he played football in junior college and started training MMA in 2008. Oh, and he was also Baja Cage Fight and Ultimate Warrior Challenge Mexico bantamweight champion. I'm not anti-"Gazelle" because he's already proven to be a talented fighter and he has one thing Dillashaw doesn't: A win inside the Octagon. Still, there's no denying that Dilly is taking this thing south and keeping it there and I just don't see any way that Watson overcomes it. Prediction: Dillashaw def. Watson via unanimous decision That's a wrap, folks. For previews and predictions on the preliminary card fights click here and here. To see all the odds and betting lines for UFC on FUEL TV click here and remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger." What do you think? Now it's your turn ... let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for tomorrow night's event.

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

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UFC on Fuel TV 1: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger weigh-in results from Omaha, Nebraska.

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Check out this video preview of the main event of UFC on Fuel 1, Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger.

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A couple weeks before his pro debut in June of 2002, Diego Sanchez went to a party with his cousin. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea, he can admit now, but so what? He was 20 years old and had energy to spare. And it’s not like he was there to get crazy. Sure, he had one or two drinks, but nothing that would hinder a 20-year-old’s ability to show up at Greg Jackson’s Albuquerque-based fight gym in the morning. Everything was fine. Right up until the cops showed up."We weren’t drunk or anything, but we were underage and we’d had a couple of drinks, so we ran out the back door," Sanchez says. "We were jumping fences, just trying to get away."Like a bad dream, Sanchez just happened to jump into a backyard with three large Rottweilers in it. The dogs immediately took off after Sanchez, who knew only that he needed to jump the next fence as soon as possible. "What I didn’t realize was, the next fence that I jumped was like a 20-foot drop down to the ground. I felt like I was falling forever. I landed with my legs locked out. I had those Nike shoes with the air pockets, and when I landed one of the air pockets popped. That’s how hard I landed."He didn’t get picked up by the cops that night, but by morning Sanchez had a deep bruise on his heel. He could barely walk or put any weight on that foot, and he certainly couldn’t run. Still, he knew that staying home from the gym was not an option."Back in the old school days at Greg Jackson’s, there was no not coming to practice if you were hurt," he says. "You went to practice no matter what. If your arm was hurt, we’d tie your arm to your body and you’d go with one arm. That’s just the way we did it. It was, take some ibuprofen and let’s train."Even though he was limited in what he could do, Sanchez managed to finish up the last couple weeks of his training camp and nurse his heel almost back to full health. What he didn’t do, however, was come clean with his coach about how he’d injured it. For obvious reasons, he didn’t want to tell Jackson that he’d been running first from the cops, and then from three Rottweilers after having some drinks at a party just before his first professional fight. Instead, he claimed that he’d fallen off a ladder while at work at the Doubletree hotel. It was a harmless lie, he reasoned, and one that kept the peace well enough to justify itself.By the time fight night rolled around, the sore heel was the least of Sanchez’s concerns. He and some friends had made the seven-hour drive up to Denver for an event dubbed Ring of Fire 5: Predators. By the time they showed up at the Radisson North Graystone Castle, where the fights were being held, the nerves were starting to take their toll on Sanchez. He’d wrestled competitively and trained for around ten months in MMA, but he’d never done anything quite like this."I was extremely nervous," he says. "The only way I could think to get past the nervousness was to get crazy. I was extremely pumped up, like this is World War III. I was headbutting the wall before I went out there."His opponent that night was a guy named Michael Johnson (not the same Michael Johnson who currently fights in the UFC), and he was also making his pro debut. They knew almost nothing about one another except for a vague idea of what gym the other trained out of, though it quickly became apparent that Johnson knew a little more about striking than Sanchez did."Right away, he hit me with a straight right hand. Just, boom! I’d been in street fights, and we did sparring, but we were mainly grapplers. My punches were more like uppercuts and hooks and overhands. I’d never really learned the straight right. This guy hit me with the cleanest straight right. Bang, right on the button, right on my nose. So flush that it cut my nose right on the bridge."Sanchez recovered and managed a takedown, but Johnson reversed him and got in some good ground-and-pound before Sanchez regained top position. According to records on the internet, this is about where the fight ended, in the first round. But the way Sanchez remembers it, they scrapped back and forth in that opening frame, with his opponent likely getting the better of it, and then the round came to an end.It was a good thing, too. Bloodied and sucking wind, Sanchez needed the break. Both the ringside doctor and his coach came in to check on the state of his nose, but Jackson assured the doctor that his fighter was fine and the man left convinced."After he’s gone Greg looks at me and says, ‘He got you with a good one, huh?’ We laughed, and then I remember saying to him, ‘Greg, am I sure this is what I want to do for a living?’"It was a joke that had the sting of truth to it at that very moment. There he was, bleeding from his nose and with welts already swelling up about his face, trying to get enough of the thin Denver air to go out there and get some more punishment. Who did this? Who thought this was a good idea?"At the same time I was like, well, I can’t let this guy kick my ass," Sanchez says.In the second round they went at it some more, and again Sanchez got the takedown. This time he made the most of it, taking his opponent’s back and sinking in the rear-naked choke for the submission finish. He left the Radisson that night with a perfect 1-0 record as a professional."I remember I got paid $600 for that fight, and I went straight to the hospital. My bill was $486.24. I still remember it exactly. My friends drove up to see me fight, and they were all broke. I was the only one who had gas money, so I had to put gas in the car. I had maybe $40 by the time I got home."Okay, so maybe it wasn’t terribly profitable, but it was, in Sanchez’s words, "a life-changer." After that first fight he felt certain he’d found his passion in life."I knew it. I loved it. I loved the feeling. It was such a rush, and it made it so much better that the guy had gotten some good shots on me. He hurt me and I had to come back. It was tough, and it made it that much more rewarding for me. ...Now it’s ten years later, and I’m still doing it, still loving it. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else."Eventually, he even came clean to Jackson about how he’d injured his heel. It just took some time."It was about three years later, and I was already in the UFC. But I said, ‘Greg, I have to get something off my conscience,’" Sanchez says. "He just laughed. He probably knew all along. You can’t fool Greg." For past installments of the 'My First Fight' series on MMAFighting.com, including trips down memory lane with Rashad Evans, Mark Coleman, and more, click here.

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With all the talk surrounding the state of the UFC’s welterweight division, especially in terms of contendership given Nick Diaz’s potential suspension/retirement and an upcoming bout between Josh Koscheck-Johny Hendricks, original Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez wants to make sure the public hasn’t forgotten about him. Sanchez fights Jake Ellenberger tomorrow night in the main event at UFC on Fuel 1 where the winner will emerge with a solid winning streak against a handful of apt adversaries. “You know, this is a big fight with Jake Ellenberger because I believe he is one of the top guys in the division,” said Sanchez at the show’s open workouts. “He has more momentum than a Koscheck or a Hendricks right now, and I think a win over him is going to set me up in a good position in the division and a shot at the title.” Ellenberger is coming off a knockout win over former Strikeforce middleweight champ Jake Shields, improving his record inside the Octagon to 5-1 with the lone stumble involving a Split Decision loss in his UFC debut to Carlos Condit. “The fact that people aren’t talking about me for a title shot doesn’t bother me,” Sanchez continued. “It’s alright. Ellenberger has five wins in the UFC and some impressive ones. It all gets factored in. I have two Fight of the Nights but, for me, to get that title shot I’m really going to have to earn it. So I’m going to have to go in there and beat the guy who everyone says is going to get the title shot. I have to go in and beat him and I have to beat him convincingly and that’s what I came to Omaha to do.” The bout also happens to be occurring in Ellenberger’s proverbial backyard of Omaha, though for Sanchez the location matters little based on the maturing he’s done as a professional Mixed Martial Artist. “There’s no added pressure fighting him in his hometown. I used to get involved in mind games, the fight before the fight. The mental and psychological aspects of the head games. When I was younger I used to think that was part of it. If you could beat a fighter before you even got into the ring then that was part of it,” the 23-4 Sanchez explained. “But now I’ve realized that once they lock the door it’s just two guys, two men. The decisions that they made in their training camp, the decisions that they made with their life, that’s all that matters and what’s in their hearts.” Catch Ellenberger and Sanchez scrap when things fire up on Fuel TV at 8:00 PM EST. Other bouts include heavyweight action featuring Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic and Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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

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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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Welterweight contender Martin Kampmann goes by the nickname “The Hitman,” but you might as well have changed that to “The Surgeon” the way he carved up Diego Sanchez in the first round of their March 2011 bout. Battered and bloodied, Sanchez returned to his corner at the bell, and for 95% of the fighters out there, that first five minutes would have been cause for severe concern.Sanchez is part of that 5% that would squint through the blood covering his face, sneer at his opponent across the Octagon, and dare him to do what he just did again. And the way he describes it, that 60 seconds between rounds in Louisville was his most defining moment.“My absolute favorite moment of my career was in that Martin Kampmann fight going into that second round because that was the moment I flicked the switch,” said Sanchez. “This is a weird switch, I don’t know if all fighters got this switch, but I know that I found it in that fight. I found a switch that says, you know what, I don’t have no regard for my face right now. I could care less about what’s going on right now, but I truly have one thing in mind, and that’s to take out my opponent. At that moment, I’m a vicious warrior and I’m gonna try to take this person out anyway I can. And I just had to make it into a street fight.”That’s just what Sanchez did, and over the next two rounds, he took the fight to Kampmann, showing no regard for strategy or his well-being, and he brawled his way to a razor-thin 29-28 win on all three judges’ scorecards. The fight, one of 2011’s best, not only took Fight of the Night honors, but Sanchez and Kampmann each received a $160,000 bonus check for their efforts. It almost never happened though, because if Sanchez’ gameplan would have been successful, it could have been an entirely different fight. Luckily for everyone watching, Sanchez didn’t have a Plan B when Plan A didn’t work. But he guarantees that won’t happen again.“With that victory I had one of the most crucial learning experiences of my career, and that was that I could never ever go into a fight not sharp on my striking,” he said. “For that fight I didn’t hit mitts with (striking coach Mike) Winkeljohn once, and I didn’t even go as far as punching a bag once. All I did was wrestle, wrestle, wrestle, and I had it in my mind that no matter what this guy tries to do, I’m gonna take him down and I’m gonna win the fight. But he knew that, and I gave him the opportunity to hit me with knees while defending the shot. And I learned. I got a really strong iron jaw, and a big heart, and I need to use that to my advantage and I need to fight with my hands. I need to be sharp with my striking and go in there as a striker first and if a takedown presents itself it presents itself. For the rest of my career, I will always go into a fight as striker first because the fight starts on the feet.”That could be a problem going into Wednesday’s UFC on FUEL main event against Jake Ellenberger, perhaps the hardest puncher in the UFC’s welterweight division. If you’re not on top of your striking game, “The Juggernaut” can make it a short night for you. Even if you are, if he lands one on the button, it’s usually lights out. That’s not even mentioning the fact that Sanchez has gotten cut pretty badly in his fights against Kampmann and BJ Penn, and sometimes, judges can score the blood and not the fight. “None of that concerns me because I was blessed and I have completely and totally recovered from these cuts,” said Sanchez. “I don’t have scar tissue, and it’s amazing. You guys are gonna see me and I don’t even have scars. It was a miracle. I was healed, I didn’t have plastic surgery, but just by using oils, and massaging, and trusting in God that he was gonna heal me, I have become totally healed from those cuts. I’m a warrior and I have my war wounds, and now I’m just going in to fight differently. I’m still evolving and still getting better as a striker.”Sanchez’ attitude should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed his career over the years. Always precocious, “The Dream” is supremely confident but also willing to back up his words, and his performances – win or lose – have proved it. Remember, this is the same kid from Albuquerque who said with a laugh “at 20 years old, the only thing I knew was grab that bottle of Ibuprofen and train.” And while he’s had his moments of quirkiness (who can ever forget the “Yes” cartwheel?), when it comes time to fight, he’s locked in and ready to go.But after healing his cuts, Sanchez still wasn’t going to be able to do what he loves, as a broken right hand scrapped a highly-anticipated UFC 135 bout with Hall of Famer Matt Hughes last September. “I was excited for the Matt Hughes fight and I was extremely ready for that fight,” he said. “I was ready in all aspects of my game, I was really ready to go in there and fight and then I broke my hand and I had to be on the shelf. But now here it is, 11 months later since I fought and I just trust in God that everything happens for a reason, and that this is my time.”The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time, as Sanchez was coming off two consecutive Fight of the Night wins (over Kampmann and Paulo Thiago) and the Hughes bout was going to be a high-profile co-main event on Pay-Per-View. It wasn’t to be though, and Sanchez is philosophical about the whole ordeal.“It was probably the first time in my whole career where I was doing everything right,” he said. “I was living right and everything was just harmonized perfect, so when the injury happened, I just took it as a blessing in disguise and I accepted it with positivity. That was a major challenge for me. But it actually turned out better for me because now I’m fighting a guy in Jake Ellenberger who is recognized as one of the best guys in the division. There’s plenty of tough guys in my division, but I look at him as one of the top one or two in the division.”Ellenberger enters tomorrow’s bout with a five fight winning streak with four of those wins coming by knockout. It’s a daunting task for Sanchez, or at least you would assume it is, but this is one fighter who refuses to walk down the same path as most.“I know that on February 15th when they lock the door and it’s just me and Jake in there, nothing that I will have said will matter, and it’s just gonna be me and him in there, and I know that once that 15 minutes is over, I’m gonna walk out and be able to say I gave it everything that I had,” said Sanchez, and what more can you ask from any fighter? Maybe for all the “Yes” cartwheels and craziness over the years, he’s the guy who “gets it” more than anyone. It wasn’t an overnight process, but it is one he began two years before most people have that life evaluation talk with themselves at 30.“I was probably one of the wild children of MMA,” he said. “It’s no secret that I had a problem with the partying and the drinking, and that was a part of my career when I was a young bachelor and I was wild. It affected me dramatically. It affected me in my fight performances, and I was never truly at a hundred percent, so when I turned 28, I remember the clock ticked over - and I was born on New Year’s Eve, so the year ends - and I’m like ‘all right, I’m gonna be 30 in just two years. Man, I better get my stuff together right now.’ I want to be the guy at 30 years old saying ‘well, I got myself together,’ or at least I’m doing okay. I don’t want to be the guy at 30 years old saying I need to get my stuff together. I got a head start, things are good, married life is awesome and I’m in a whole different state of mind.”Now all he has to do if fight. And for him, that’s always been the part he never had an issue with.

Posted in: fight, ’t, i ’m, sanchez, ’m

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The UFC’s first foray into airing an event on Fuel TV proper is Wednesday night, and it seems more than a few people are going to be out of luck when it comes into finding the broadcast on their television.  And that does suck, because an event headlined by the likes of seminal TUF winner Diego Sanchez and rising contender Jake Ellenberger isn’t something you can just ignore.  No, it’s a regular meat-and-potatoes matchup that could satisfy the appetite of any true MMA fan.  But that’s how it goes, I guess, when the UFC marries FOX and is now obligated to give FOX’s developmentally disabled nephew some love and attention at family gatherings.  I mean, it’s not like the UFC can lock Fuel TV in a closet when no one’s looking and step outside to smoke a cigarette.  Am I right?  So!  A preview of what will probably be the greatest UFC event ever (simply because I won’t be able to see anything beyond the Facebook-broadcast preliminary bouts)! -Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger – When the Valkyries come to take Sanchez off to that great banquet hall in the sky, and the first toast is made by the host of Valhalla in the little guy’s honor, the tribute will likely include something about how Sanchez was never quite the best but damn did he fight hard.  His last two performances garnered him healthy “Fight of the Night” bonuses for their unending scrappiness, and though he was handled by BJ Penn and John Hathaway before that, he’s left it all in the cage just about every time.  Ellenberger, on the other hand, has been climbing up the rankings like a man possessed (and like a man possessing fists full of dynamite, which, uh, is a somewhat accurate analogy).  But other than taking on Jake Shields and losing a decision to Carlos Condit in his Octagon debut a couple years back, Ellenberger really hasn’t been given top guys.  Sanchez, then, will be a great test of his mettle.  Can Ellenberger sprawl out of Sanchez’s aggressive fistic- and grappling-heavy onslaught, and create enough space to blast him?  Possibly, but Sanchez damn sure isn’t going to make it easy on him.  Watch for the TUF 1 winner to end up a bloody, panting mess, yet emerge with a split decision and another bonus. -Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman – A few years ago, the UFC heavyweight division was powered by the nuclear energy generated by the likes of a seemingly unbeatable Shane Carwin, a practically indestructible Cain Velasquez, a mountainous Brock Lesnar, and a few other giants who were fearsome and frightening.  Nowadays, though, we get campfire-level heat in the form of overgrown gawky teenager Struve and Dave “I gassed out hard against Jon Olav Einemo in my UFC debut” Herman.  Which is… kind of disappointing.  Anyway, Struve is tall and lanky and can strike dudes from great distances, and Herman is good at grabbing guys and kneeing them.  I give the edge to Struve here, simply because he’s been kicking it Octagon-style for a while now, but, eh, the TKO victory could go to either one.  It depends on who imposes their will the most. -Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes – Grizzled wrestler-turned-fighter Simpson isn’t so much a finisher as he’s the kind of guy that simply fights until his opponents wither – which, though it probably means his career will last a fraction of the duration of a normal MMA career, does usually mean viewers are left with a sense of satisfaction at having someone fight their heart out.  Will he’ll be able to grind Markes into putty and break the Nova Uniao rep’s spirit?  Not necessarily.  But if the Brazilian doesn’t get a chance to put Simpson on his back and deliver punches, it’s likely that Simpson is going to gut out another decision that forces us to say “damn” and cuts six years off his life. -Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic – Miocic really put it on the durable Joey Beltran in his UFC debut, so you have to wonder if the big Brit De Fries is in over his head.  I’d say, given Miocic’s Division I wrestling background and the rich and vibrant wrestling scene in the UK, Miocic is going to have the advantage – at least in sustained intensity.  Look for him TKO De Fries while the Brit is looking for a submission that never materializes. -TJ Dillashaw vs. Walel Watson – What does a pedigree in wrestling and membership in Uriah Faber’s Team Alpha Male School for Frenetic Grappling get you?  Apparently, a slot on TUF.  However, it does not get you the coveted TUF Lucite, so Dillashaw can count himself among the elite “guys who came in second place on TUF” crew.  Whoopee!  For his part, Watson threw down pretty hard against Yves Jabouin at UFC 140, and though he lost a close decision, he proved to be competent and capable when fists are flying.  That said, Dillashaw is going to take him down and work him.  It will go the distance – if anything, Watson is tough – but what we’re going to see from Dillashaw will be textbook “nonstop pounding from top position”, plus a ton of pent up regret over having wasted six weeks of his life languishing in a house in Las Vegas. 

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, ’t, vs, sanchez

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Contenders and bruisers and prospects ... Oh my! This Wednesday night (Feb. 15, 2012), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will debut its first-ever mixed martial arts (MMA) event on FUEL TV from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. And to ensure the promotion makes a good first impression, it has loaded the fight card from top to bottom with talent. In the main event, Jake Ellenberger will square off with Diego Sanchez with an interim welterweight title shot potentially hanging in the balance, while Stefan Struve will welcome Dave Herman back to the Octagon in what is sure to be a spectacular heavyweight affair. For the degenerate gamblers among us, MMAmania has got all bases covered. Join us after the break for an in-depth look at the odds behind UFC on FUEL TV: "Ellenberger vs. Sanchez" as we examine the betting lines for the upcoming MMA match ups: UFC On FUEL TV Under Card Odds: Bernardo Magalhaes (-225) vs. Tim Means (+175)Justin Salas (-135) vs. Anton Kuivanen (+105)Sean Loeffler (-125) vs. Buddy Roberts (-105)Jonathan Brookins (-225) vs. Vagner Rocha (+175)Ivan Menjivar (-270) vs. John Albert (+210) Thoughts: These are some seriously intriguing "Prelims" -- every single one of these bouts has an interesting storyline and/or the potential for exciting back-and-forth action. In this case, your best bets are most likely Salas and Brookins. I’ve been a fan of Kuivanen since I first started researching his previous fights. And while I really want to see him win this one, his takedown defense just doesn’t seem sufficient to ward off a wrestler of Salas’ caliber, nor does he have the sort of vicious guard necessary to convince me of his chances of winning off his back. He’s the better striker of the two by a fair margin, but he hasn’t shown much propensity for one-hitter-quitters or, really, the kind of power needed to make Salas hesitant about closing the distance. The American is a safe bet. Rocha’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu credentials are top-notch. When Pablo Popovitch -- who placed second in the ADCC Absolute division this year -- has you teaching jiu-jitsu at his gym, you’re doing something right. The issue is that his wrestling is pretty, well, bad. His stand up is nonexistent and his shots weak. And while that may cut it against the likes of Cody McKenzie, Brookins is a whole ‘nother animal. The latter is also a pretty poor striker, but he dictates position extremely well and has the know-how to, at the very least, survive on top of Rocha. Stuff a parlay with our long-haired friend. UFC On FUEL TV Main Card Odds: T.J. Dillashaw (-255) vs. Walel Watson (+195)Stipe Miocic (-500) vs. Philip De Fries (+350)Aaron Simpson (-115) vs. Ronny Markes (-115)Dave Herman (-140) vs. Stefan Struve (+110)Jake Ellenberger (-325) vs. Diego Sanchez (+250) Thoughts: Interesting collection of bouts. Let’s look a little more closely. I willingly retract my precious slamming of Watson’s stand up skills. He’s definitely improved and now uses his height well. The problem here is that he won’t get a chance to use it -- Dillashaw will take him down hard and often, and I question Watson’s ability to finish off his back. He’s got those long limbs, sure, but his best trick seems to be a solid series of front headlocks, and Alpha Male’s front headlock series is second-to-none. He could conceivably worm a forearm deep enough to choke Dillashaw out, but I don’t see it happening. Put Dillashaw in a parlay. I will be absolutely stunned if Miocic doesn’t completely wipe the floor with De Fries. While the latter is ostensibly a submission specialist, his takedowns are incredibly telegraphed and he didn’t seem capable of much offense once on the ground. Against a Division I collegiate wrestler like Miocic, who also possesses huge power in all four limbs, that’s just not good enough. Still, anything can happen, and -500 just has too little of a return for my taste. Leave this one alone. While I was extremely impressed by Markes’ defeat of Karlos Vemola, Simpson still strikes me as a good bargain. Markes’ weight cut worries me. Sure, he’s doing it of his own volition and he looked soft against Karlos, but it’s still 20 pounds lighter than he usually fights. Simpson can’t seem to finish anyone these days, but he still packs huge power and a phenomenal wrestling game that’s let him go toe-to-toe with the likes of Mark Munoz. While Markes’ wrestling looked excellent against Vemola, Karlos can’t set up his shots and has some of the least-technical standup you’re likely to find. Simpson can wrestle and strike at once, and this ability will propel him over Markes. Go big on "A-Train." I’m probably going to regret this, as Struve is painfully inconsistent, but he’s the best underdog pick on the card. Herman hasn’t been in the cage since July and has really beaten nobody of note besides maybe Michal Kita. Further, he just plain doesn’t seem to give a toss, while Struve has been doing everything in his power to improve. He’s getting bigger every fight and looks to have finally figured out how to use that crazy reach of his. Further, while Herman can undoubtedly get him down, Struve has a nasty guard. While I can’t recommend putting too much on him based on his past inconsistency, a moderate bet on Struve wouldn’t be the worst idea. In all honesty, this strikes me as perhaps the single worst stylistic match up at welterweight for Sanchez. He’s fighting someone bigger and stronger, with comparable wrestling and the ability to put away anyone in the 170-pound division with one punch. Sanchez's defense is atrocious, he’s been out of the cage for 11 months, and I am of the firm belief that Martin Kampmann defeated him. The only reason I’m not telling you to put everything and the kitchen sink on Ellenberger is because of the latter’s questionable cardio. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he’s improved it drastically since his fight with John Howard, but Sanchez pushes an obscene pace, one that could definitely get to the "Juggernaut" if he doesn’t, as I think he will, flatten Sanchez in the first round. Further, Sanchez's judge-hypnotizing powers seem to be at their peak, which makes this one I can’t recommend betting on. The style match up is too bad for me to bet on "The Dream" and the line’s too skewed to bet on Ellenberger. Leave this one alone. My UFC on FUEL TV Best Bets: Single Bet: Stefan Struve -- Bet $40 to make $44 Parlay: T.J. Dillashaw and Jonathan Brookins -- Bet $100 to make $101.09 Parlay: Justin Salas and Aaron Simpson -- Bet $45.05 to make $101.56 Nothing gives you the energy to make it to the weekend like some mid-week caged violence. Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver live UFC on FUEL TV results this Wednesday, which is as good a place as any to talk about all the action inside the Octagon, as well as what you've got riding on the sportsbook. See you then, Maniacs!

Posted in: vs, tv, sanchez, bet, hersquo

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Events like tomorrow night's UFC on Fuel card are either very good for betting, or very bad for it depending on your perspective. If you have the time to do a lot of research and know some of the undercard fighters better than the linemakers, the potential is there to make a killing. On the other hand, betting on the unknown is not wise if you're not completely up to speed. I see two solid bets outside of the new guys though, so all is not lost. The first is - the main event, and Diego Sanchez. No, I'm not crazy (despite what Nick Diaz fans might tell you). The Shields win earned Ellenberger plenty of justified hype, but I still have the Carlos Eduardo Rocha fight in the back of my head and Sanchez is a grinder. I expected the line to see Diego in the +175 to +200 range, not +250. I believe there is value in that bet, though I'll probably still be picking the Juggernaut in my predictions. The other live dog I see is Vagner Rocha. While Brookins has good wrestling and is extremely tough to finish, Rocha has better submission skills and has only lost to much bigger men. At +175, he seems like a solid investment to me. Anyway, here are your lines for UFC on Fuel: Lines via www.bodog.ca Feb 15th, live on Fuel TV from Omaha, NE: Main Card: Diego Sanchez (26-5) +250 vs. Jake Ellenberger (23-4) -325 Dave Herman (21-2) -140 vs. Stefan Struve (22-5) +110 Ronny Markes (12-1) -115 vs. Aaron Simpson (11-2) -115 Philip de Fries (8-0, 1 NC) +350 vs. Stipe Miocic (7-0) -500 More SBN coverage of UFC on Fuel 1 Preliminary Card: T.J. Dillashaw (4-1) -255 vs. Walel Watson (9-3) +195 Jonathan Brookins (12-4) -225 vs. Vagner Rocha (7-2) +175 John Albert (7-1) +210 vs. Ivan Menjivar (23-8) -270 Bernardo Magalhaes (11-1) -210 vs. Tim Means (16-3-1) +170 Sean Loeffler (25-5) -115 vs. Buddy Roberts (11-2) -115 Anton Kuivanen (16-4) +105 vs. Justin Salas (9-3) -135

Posted in: ufc, vs, sanchez, line, fuel

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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

Read the full article at Yahoo! Sports

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

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Top Welterweight contender Jake Ellenberger, who meets Diego Sanchez at UFC on Fuel TV 1, discusses his opponent, as well as his training and preparation for the bout. Ellenberger acknowledges the challenge that Sanchez will present, but says that he is confident he will prove himself to be among the best Welterweights in the world.

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

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It may seem hard to believe but the stars of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) are some of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) most tenured fighters. After nearly seven years, the likes of Forrest Griffin, Kenny Florian and Josh Koscheck have just about shed their reality TV roots as they have become better known for defeating mixed martial arts (MMA) legends or winning championships. Another such fighter is Diego Sanchez who like his fellow TUF 1 middleweight finalist Kenny Florian has never quite been able to grab ahold of the brass ring and make the transition from contender to champion. Both "KenFlo" and Sanchez have been to the big dance at 155 pounds but each ran into the (nearly) immovable lightweight object known as B.J. Penn. Now more than two years removed from his UFC 107 main event, Sanchez finds himself one win away from perhaps another title shot. Possibly challenging for Carlos Condit's newly won interim welterweight title or perhaps tangling with Georges St. Pierre when the French-Canadian heals up could be in the TUF veteran's near future should he pick up the W on Wednesday (Feb. 15). Standing in his way is Jake Ellenberger who is fresh off an impressive knockout over Jake Shields. A solid wrestler with devastating knockout power, Ellenberger is hoping to lay one of his fists directly on his opponent's chin in the main event of the inaugural UFC on Fuel TV event. But Sanchez is no stranger to heavy-handed opponents. Whereas Florian left his bout with the Hawaiian relatively unscathed -- as much as one can when having stepped inside the Octagon -- "The Dream" was permanently disfigured after hooking up with "The Prodigy," the new bearer of a scar from a chasm-like gash on his forehead. It was a similar experience the Greg Jackson fighter had when he took on Martin Kampmann nearly a year ago. Let's take a look at that bout, complete with its controversial decision. Immediately Sanchez begins to press forward while Kampmann, the more accomplished striker, bides his time in search for a counter. They continue to exchange until "The Dream" shoots in for a single-leg takedown which the Dane defends perfectly. As they separate, "Hitman" nails Sanchez with a beautiful knee. "The Dream" backs up, attempting to get some space between him and his opponent. He launches a looping right hook but a lightning fast straight from Kampmann finds its mark long before the hook can connect. Sanchez drops to the mat but scrambles back up quickly as "Hitman" latches onto a front headlock. The Dane backs his opponent against the cage, delivering knee after knee to the nearly prone Sanchez. They separate off the cage and the exchanges continue until "The Dream" dives in for another takedown. It -- like the first -- is stuffed and Sanchez also eats a knee for his trouble. By now, his face is a bloody mess thanks to Kampmann's striking. At the sound of the horn, the Greg Jackson fighter returns to his corner looking like a horror movie victim. Between rounds, Sanchez's trainers implore him to attempt more takedowns; at least five is what they demand. Their fighter doesn't disappoint, going for two in the first minute alone. Unfortunately, neither is a success and "The Dream" is forced to decide the bout on his feet. Kampmann already seems more content to wait for another big counter, hoping to replicate his knockdown of the first round. Sanchez knows the opening stanza is lost to him and presses forward. A third takedown is stuffed but a small cut has opened under the Dane's eye. Sanchez bullies his opponent against the cage and opens up with a flurry of punches; a few that don't connect, a few that graze Kampmann and a few that nearly drop "Hitman" to the canvas. The once previously small cut has now opened up and blood covers nearly half of Kampmann's face. The Dane is forced to circle away from the onslaught while Sanchez gives chase. "The Dream" goes for a fourth takedown which, despite the pounding Kampmann just received, is also stuffed. Try as he might, Sanchez is unable to put his opponent on his back. The round closes with another wild slugfest that Sanchez seems to get the better of before losing his footing and slipping onto his back. Between rounds, the camera catches a shot of Kampmann's eye which appears to have a handful of small cuts surrounding it. The third and final round opens with both fighters cautiously picking their shots. Neither fighter wants to commit a fight-ending error but both hope to win the round as it would likely decide the winner of the bout. Halfway through the final round, neither man has done enough to separate themselves from their opponent. Kampmann has landed a few nice jabs and a knee to the body while Sanchez is walking "Hitman" down and connecting with a handful of strikes but almost three minutes in the round still doesn't have a clear winner. A takedown finally lands for "The Dream" but Kampmann is able to get vertical seconds later. They continue to exchange strikes, Sanchez in bunches while "Hitman" prefers to deliver one-off counter punches. Sanchez attacks the body while his opponent delivers a knee as we enter into the final minute. A cut under the Greg Jackson fighter's left eye is busted wide open by a pinpoint accurate counter from Kampmann and Sanchez immediately raises his fist to cover the wound from further damage. More primal instincts prevail however as "The Dream" spends the last 60 seconds exchanging like a madman and Kampmann is more than happy to accomodate his opponent. When the decision is read -- a 29-28 unanimous decision for Sanchez -- the reaction from the crowd is not pretty. Boos are showered until Sanchez busts out a patented Mick Foley cheap pop by saying he "loves Louisville" and cheers fill the arena when "Hitman" states he felt he won the bout. MMA judging isn't an exact science and it was evident that night in Kentucky. But Kampmann didn't end up hurting as a result of the loss. On top of a $160,000 bonus, his next bout -- a win over Rick Story -- was on the main card of UFC 139 and he's set to headline UFC on FX 2 in Australia against Thiago Alves. Sanchez, obviously, tops the bill on Wednesday and will be looking to pick up a third straight win. It's probably safe to say, though, he'd like to avoid getting his face mangled again while picking up the victory. That won't be all too easy considering his opponent. Does "The Dream" continue? Or will Ellenberger be a nightmare for Sanchez?

Posted in: fighter, dream, opponent, sanchez, kampmann

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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

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Diego Sanchez’s past several years could serve as a cautionary tale about the potential dangers that come along with the notoriety of being an MMA fighter.In June 2009, Sanchez was at the height of his MMA career. He had defeated Clay Guida to improve his MMA career record to 21-2. More importantly, the win assured him his next fight would be for the UFC lightweight title against champion B.J. Penn. Sanchez had proven himself inside the UFC Octagon. But outside, it was a different story.“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.” If his careless spending wasn’t enough of a problem, the Albuquerque native became a victim of an investment scam.“To make it worse, one of my best friends completely robbed me blind,” Sanchez said. “Set me up and embezzled me for about $150,000.” And so, three months after challenging for the UFC lightweight title, Sanchez was broke. “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 relied on drugs and alcohol to mask his personal and financial difficulties. Sanchez failed to stop even when he had his next fight lined up.“I was in a bad place. The only place to cover this up, the depression and anxiety, was the drinking and smoking weed. I was smoking so much weed it was ridiculous. And I was still drinking leading up to Hathaway fight. I knew I had no place stepping in the cage. But I had to because I needed the money.”Sanchez was upset by British rising star John Hathaway in a unanimous decision, suffering back-to-back losses for only the second time in his career. After the fight, a new addition to Sanchez's life forced him to turn his life around. Ironically, this “blessing” was brought on once again from being a victim of his own fame.A woman whom Sanchez had met online deceived the fighter into believing he was the father of their child. Based on the child’s striking similarities, Sanchez foregone a DNA test and raised the child as his own. The path to discovering the truth began when he married another woman and was no longer allowed by the mother to visit the child. In an attempt to gain custody of the child, Sanchez hired an attorney. During the process, Sanchez finally underwent a DNA test and learned there were no blood ties. “I was crushed. It was heartbreaking for me that he wasn’t mine,” Sanchez said. “I had to take it for what it was and just accept it ...“The girl that put me through this, she knew all along he wasn’t mine.” Sanchez continued. “It was all a big plan to get money or something: the money, the fame, she wanted to be in the limelight and say she had Diego Sanchez’s son … I don’t know.” Having overcome these challenges, Sanchez immersed himself in God. Completely, this time. And after his MMA career is over, Sanchez intends to work for the ministry full-time.“I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ, for real,” Sanchez said. “I was never truly, according to his righteousness. I just turned everything around and put everything in God’s hands. “Since the loss to Hathaway, Sanchez has defeated two top welterweights in Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann and will next face Jake Ellenberger next at UFC on FUEL TV on Feb. 15. The winner could conceivably be within reach of a title shot.“I still believe that it’s in my destiny to be a world champion,” Sanchez said. “It’s in God’s hands. I’m just going to do my part and work as hard as I can.”

Posted in: ufc, fight, mma, career, sanchez

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Top Welterweight contender Martin Kampmann, who came up on the wrong side of a controversial judges' decision against Diego Sanchez in March 2011, looks back on the bout, and offers his thoughts on the "The Dream's" upcoming match-up against Jake Ellenberger. Kampmann explains that the longer the fight goes, the more it favors Sanchez, but says if Ellenberger connects with the "dynamite in his hands" things could be over quickly.

Posted in: diego sanchez, sanchez, judges decision, kampmann, hands things

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"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

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Often when talking with fighters, whether it be before or after a fight, they are usually brief with their words and do not stray from the topic at hand. That is not the case with Diego Sanchez. Sanchez, the longtime UFC veteran since winning The Ultimate Fighter in 2005, returns to the Octagon next Wednesday, taking on Jake Ellenberger at UFC on Fuel TV 1. While Sanchez is deeply focused on the upcoming match, acknowledging how tough of a challenge Ellenberger is, it has been an even tougher challenge dealing with personal events outside of the cage. Those events have shaped Sanchez’s life over the last few years. For many years, as Sanchez puts it, he was “enjoying the life” for far too long. Whether that was being out with others drinking, smoking, or doing other activities, Sanchez was jeopardizing his career. But once those activities began jeopardizing his personal life, he knew he had to change. After going through financial struggles, admitting he lost a significant amount of money through a friend he trusted, Sanchez started to stray from what had brought him so much success. He began partying too much, and his training suffered because of it. Then he fell into a deeper hole, as he suffered through a dispute with a woman who proclaimed she gave birth to a child that was his. As he tried to make the best of the situation, even attempting to fight for custody, it all fell apart, as the results of a DNA test determined the child was not Sanchez’s. But even through all of that, Sanchez was able to find peace in his life. He managed to turn his life around, and maintain a much more positive attitude. This even spawned the idea of changing his nickname from “Nightmare” to “Dream,” signifying just how thankful he is. Now Sanchez sees himself marking another milestone in his storied career, as he will be entering the cage for the first time as a married man. “This time around, I’m not fighting for just me,” Sanchez told MMAFrenzy.com. “I am fighting for my wife and the rest of my family. My wife is the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Now is the beginning of the second half of my career – the better half. I am excited to enter this fight with a clear mind.” A clear mind can certainly be a tough task, especially coming off the longest layoff of your UFC career. Having last fought in March 2011 at UFC on Versus 3 against Martin Kampmann, Sanchez was expected to fight Matt Hughes at UFC 135 in September. Unfortunately, Sanchez sustained a broken hand, causing him to withdraw from the fight, and extending his layoff. But Sanchez did not take it easy during the time off, a break he now sees as a blessing. “As soon as my hand was broken, I was back five days later training everything I could do without my hand,” Sanchez explained. “I gained ten pounds of muscle, hoping to become a much more natural welterweight. I did my best to turn this injury into a blessing. That is part of what makes a fighter a champion.” Now Sanchez gets to put that all to the test, taking on top contender Jake Ellenberger on Wednesday. He will be fighting “The Juggernaut” in Ellenberger’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. But Sanchez does not see that as a challenge, knowing that it is only one other person that affects the fight, not the thousands in the stands. “Fighting in Omaha will only test me more,” said Sanchez. “I learned long ago that it does not matter what is said, because only the fight matters. All of the training beforehand, everything you eat, everything you do to prepare, that is what matters. The littlest decisions can make the biggest impact on a fight. “Fighting Jake, I am just thrilled to get in and do what I was born to do. I got in this sport to fight guys that can challenge me. This is going to be a war because I am a warrior, and Jake is a warrior.” A war was promised between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit, but that did not come to fruition. Condit, Sanchez’s teammate at Jackson’s MMA, won via unanimous decision. That decision has become a subject of controversy since the score was announced. Whether that is due to pre-fight promises or the style that Condit deployed during the fight, Sanchez promises that will not take place two weeks in a row. “This fight will absolutely excite people,” said Sanchez. “I’m fighting a guy like me – someone who is not afraid and is willing to fight. Regarding Carlos and what happened in that fight, Carlos got the win, and that is all that matters in this sport. The bottom line is [Nick] Diaz had opportunities to change his gameplan, and he didn’t. Some guys fight a points fight, and it is up to you to adapt to that.” Sanchez has experience with controversial decisions, specifically in his most recent fight, a win over Martin Kampmann last March. Sanchez won via unanimous decision, but many fans and journalists questioned the decision, citing the damage Kampmann caused to Sanchez’s face throughout the fight. But even with a badly cut and bruised face, Sanchez won the fight on all three judges’ cards. He is quick to point that out whenever the subject is brought up. “To this day, I still feel I earned the victory,” explained Sanchez. “I never slowed down; even after those shots I took. Both Diaz and Kampmann never changed what they were doing, and that’s why they lost. It was a unanimous decision for a reason, not a split decision. I got the points needed to win. Judges don’t score blood, they score the fight.” Now Sanchez will have a chance to continue that momentum that he started with that win. With the welterweight division in flux due to champion Georges St. Pierre’s injury, many fighters are vying for the opportunity to cement their status as a top contender in the division. Ellenberger is seen as one of those contenders. Ellenberger last fought in September, impressively defeating Jake Shields within a minute by knockout. The former college wrestler has a strong array of strikes with very powerful punches. With a five fight win streak, and having not lost since September 2009, he is likely close to a title shot. That is just one of the many challenges in front of Sanchez. But he prides himself in being able to get through those challenges. “Jake is the number one welterweight contender, in my opinion,” said Sanchez. “Jake is a on a tear, lately, but I know I can compete with anyone.” As for what lies in the future for Sanchez, he only sees it continuing in the right direction. “I’ve paid my dues in this sport. I’ve gone through so much just to get here. After Jake, whenever they need me, I’ll be ready to go. If they see me ready to be a number one contender, that’s great. If not, I’ll still be preparing because I am still always improving. “We’ll see what happens with Carlos Condit and Georges St. Pierre and everything else that happens in the division. Joe Silva will put together a great fight for me that will sell. I know he’ll put together the right one that will excite people because I am a ‘Fight of the Night’ fighter.” With that spirit, Sanchez is proving he truly is a fighter, both inside and outside of the cage.

Posted in: fight, jake, decision, life, sanchez

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While both men may have their hands full in the coming months, UFC welterweights Diego Sanchez and Carlos Condit could eventually cross paths down the road depending on how 2012 plays out. Though the two are teammates at Greg Jackson’s gym in New Mexico, Sanchez recently made it clear there is no controversy to be had when it comes to the possibility of the training partners facing off inside the Octagon with a title on the line. Straying from the attitude causing a rift between Jon Jones-Rashad Evans, as well as the one seeing Evans refuse to face Keith Jardine a few years back, Sanchez spoke to The MMA Hour earlier this week where he said he’s already discussed such a scenario with “The Natural Born Killer”. “We’ve all talked about this, the coaches, me and Carlos, we are absolutely fine fighting each other,” said the original Ultimate Fighter. “We both want UFC gold, that’s what we want for our family and have always wanted even as little kids, we have always wanted this. We are willing to do that.” He also made it clear he wouldn’t pull any punches against Condit and would expect the same treatment in return, stating, “Me and Carlos would be a war; we both know our strengths and weaknesses and it would be a great fight. If it happens, it happens.” Up next for “The Dream” is a February 15 date with top contender Jake Ellenberger in headlining action at UFC on Fuel 1. Comparably, Condit has been embroiled in the fallout from his hard-fought, albeit awfully close decision win over Nick Diaz this past Saturday night. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, sanchez, condit, carlo, fighter “

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

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing welterweight veteran and Ultimate Fighter (TUF) champion Diego Sanchez to cable television on Weds., Feb. 15, 2012, at 8 p.m. ET. So too, is Spike TV. While "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" goes down live on FUEL TV, from the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, Spike will counter-program with a UFC: "Unleashed" marathon featuring none other than "The Nightmare Dream." From today's release: Diego Sanchez gained prominence in the mixed martial arts world as the middleweight champ in the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter" on Spike TV in 2005. In seven years, Sanchez has emerged as one of the most exciting fighters in the world and Spike TV will honor "The Dream" with a special evening featuring many of his best bouts on Wednesday, February 15 (7:00pm ET-12:00 Midnight/ 4:00pm-9:00pm PT). The UFC: "Unleashed" Diego Sanchez marathon will include fights against Clay Guida (as well as the entire TUF 9 Finale), Paulo Thiago and David Bielkheden. The UFC opted for greener pastures on the FOX network (including FX and FUEL TV) after Spike TV balked at Zuffa's increased licensing fees during contract negotiations back in 2011. With the end of the Spike TV "Prelims" specials and various other MMA-related programming, the network had a pretty sizable gap to fill in its efforts to retain the 18-34 demographic that tuned in for televised fisticuffs. Enter Bellator. While Bjorn Rebney and Co. won't be able to make their Spike TV debut until 2013, the network will try and keep fight fans satiated with a constant stream of UFC fights, which they still have at their disposal, thanks to a library licensing agreement that extends through the remainder of this year. Anyone think this will put a dent in the ratings for the debut of UFC on FUEL TV? More on the "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" event right here.

Posted in: ufc, spike tv, tv, sanchez, spike

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In its latest counter-programming move, Spike TV will air a Diego Sanchez fight marathon opposite next week's UFC on FUEL TV 1 event. Sanchez headlines the Feb. 15 event, which airs live on FUEL TV, in a welterweight bout with fast-rising contender Jake Ellenberger. During the event time, Spike TV airs a five-hour "UFC Unleashed: Diego Sanchez" marathon featuring the fighter's past UFC bouts.

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

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UFC on FUEL 1 “Ellenberger vs. Sanchez” takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska and will air live on FUEL TV at 8pm ET/5pm PT. The latest UFC on FUEL 1 fight card can be found in our fight cards section.

Posted in: ufc, sanchez, fuel tv, fuel, omaha nebraska

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The next time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hits the airwaves, it will do so with its first ever event on FUEL TV, as "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" is scheduled to take place on Wed., Feb. 15, 2012, from the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, at 10 p.m. ET. UFC on Fuel TV 1 will be headlined by a welterweight war featuring top division contenders Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger facing off for a spot in the crowded 170-pound title chase. Stefan Struve and Dave Herman are also set to return to the Octagon for a heavyweight showdown in the co-featured fight of the night. Be sure to check out out the complete UFC on Fuel TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" fight card and rumors right here. And hit up our complete event archive for all the latest event-related news and notes you can handle right here.

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, tv, sanchez, fuel

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Back in 2005, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweights Diego Sanchez and Nick Diaz put on a memorable performance for the ages, headlining The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 2 Finale in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two scrappy fighter's battled tooth-and-nail for three rounds, and in the end, the judges awarded Sanchez the unanimous decision victory, much to the disappointment of Diaz. Diaz suffered back-to-back losses after that bout, but has since then gone a tear with a 15-1-1 record, solidifying himself as one of the most dangerous fighters in the division by capturing the 170-pound Strikeforce title before vacating it to rejoin the UFC ranks. Sanchez, on the other hand, remained with the UFC, bouncing around the lightweight and welterweight divisions, picking up a few "Fight of the Night" honors and losing a lightweight championship match against then 155-pound kingpin B.J. Penn along the way. Six years later, now that both are competing once again in the UFC's welterweight division, what would happen if the two were booked to rematch in the Octagon? "The Dream" tells OpposingViews.com that history would simply repeat itself. Check it out: "Man, everybody out there, straight up, I don't like to hear this crap about Nick Diaz. I'm hearing this stuff on Sherdog, 'Oh Diego Sanchez and Nick Diaz...gotta pick Nick Diaz, that was a long time ago and he's gotten so much better.' You know what man, we've all gotten better. Styles make fights! I'm still a guy that's gonna take down Nick Diaz, I'm still a guy that's gonna push the pace on Nick Diaz, I'm still the guy that's tough enough to take Nick Diaz's little pitter-patter punches. Styles make fights. Nick Diaz has this grappling that's on point and so do I. We get back in there again, I'm going to kick his ass again." Before the rematch ever even has the possibility of going down, both have dangerous upcoming opponents they have to worry about. The Stockton slugger will headline UFC 143 on Super Bowl weekend (Feb. 5, 2012) opposite Sanchez's training partner, Carlos Condit, for the interim welterweight title, while Sanchez will face a "Juggernaut" in Jake Ellenberger at UFC on Fuel TV 1 just 10 days later. A win for both Sanchez and Diaz could inch them closer to a possible rematch down the road. Then again, a loss for both could accomplish the same objective, too. Now that's a real dream.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, sanchez, im

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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

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A pair of former King of the Cage champions and New Mexico MMA scene natives took center stage at a Santa Fe event entitled Night Stalker. KOTC Night Stalker took place at the Buffalo Thunder Casino in Santa Fe. The top of the card featured Angelo Sanchez (12-3) and Donald Sanchez (24-12) advance in a mini tournament for the KOTC 145 pound title. Angelo Sanchez out grappled Richard Schiller (8-5-1) in the main event of the 13 fight card. Sanchez fought off an early takedown from Schiller as he looked for multiple submission attempts in the ensuing scrambles. After a failed armbar attempt from Sanchez, Schiller got caught in a fight ending arm triangle choke hold. The time of the tapout was the 4:01 mark of round one. The submission win was the seventh of Sanchez's career. The Santa Fe native has won four straight since dropping a split decision to Donald Sanchez in May 2010. Donald Sanchez was matched up with California's Chris Culley (12-9) in a battle of wrestler versus striker. The fighters traded jabs and knees in the early going before a trip takedown from Sanchez off the cage began the fight ending sequence for Culley. Sanchez took Culley's back and battered him with punches while he searched for a rear naked choke. Culley would roll out of any submission dangerous but was caught in Sanchez's mount where he ate a steady diet of elbow strikes. A handful of unanswered strikes caused the referee to halt the fight and award Sanchez the TKO victory. The bout officially ended at the 4:45 point of round one. Fresh off a 2-2 2011 campaign Sanchez has won back to back fights after he lost to current Bellator bantamweight Jeremy Spoon (12-0) in August. Angelo and Donald Sanchez are now scheduled to fight for third time under the KOTC banner later this year in New Mexico.King of the Cage Night Stalker resultsSanta Fe, NMAngelo Sanchez def. Richard Schiller by Submission Arm Triangle Choke 4:01 R1Donald Sanchez def. Chris Culley by KO (Punches) 4:45 R1Joby Sanchez def. Daniel Armendariz by Submission Rear Naked Choke 2:42 R2Billy Moore def. Terrin Yazzie by Submission Rear Naked Choke 1:46 R1Stacey Sigala def. Zuhey Quezada by Unanimous Decision.Tim Sosa def. Rudy Kennedy by TKO 1:15 R2Joey Miolla def. Dorian Dixon by Unanimous DecisionSteven Gonzalez def. Derek Perez by Submission Punches 2:11 R1Charlie Williams def. Jerald Tsosie by TKO 0:22 R2Eric White def. Fernando Sanchez by Submission Guillotine Choke 0:48 R1Laure Burley def. Tombert Frank by TKO 1:52 R1Malcolm Mitchell def. Sergio Gutierrez by TKO 1:29 R1Aaron Wilson def. Steven Baca by TKO 1:12 R1

Posted in: fight, tko, submission, sanchez, donald

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Tickets for the UFC's return to Omaha, which airs on Fuel TV, go on sale Wednesday. Diego Sanchez and Jake Ellenberger meet in the Feb. 15 main event.

Posted in: jake ellenberger, sanchez, sale, fuel tv, ufcs return

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

Filed under: UFC, NewsThe first-ever UFC on FUEL fight card features a Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger main event on Feb. 15 at the CenturyLink Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. Sanchez fought once in 2011, beating Martin Kampmann by unanimous decision at UFC on Versus 3. Meanwhile, Ellenberger is coming off a first-round TKO over Jake Shields last September at UFC Fight Night 25. The current lineup is below. Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman Jonathan Brookins vs. Rani Yahya Philip De Fries vs. Stipe Miocic Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes John Albert vs. Ivan Menjivar Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

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

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From the "obvious prediction is obvious" department, we have Jake Ellenberger. "The Juggernaut" will headline the inaugural UFC on Fuel TV 1 fight card opposite Diego Sanchez on Feb. 15, 2012, in Omaha, Nebraska. When asked for a prediction, here's what he said: "Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. That's what I've always done. If it goes three, if it goes five rounds, if it goes 10 rounds, I mean, I'll be ready for sure. I always look to finish fights as fast as I can, just being prepared as I can. But I can see a TKO in the first or second round." Considering how difficult it is to finish Sanchez, who has been stopped just once in his 27 fight career, that would seem to be a rather bold claim from Ellenberger. But that's the same thing we said when he was telling folks he could knock Jake Shields out before their bout at UFC Fight Night 25 back in September. Shields had also only been finished once in his career. Ellenberger took him out in just 53 seconds. That's not to say he'll do the same to Sanchez, just that it's not as crazy a prediction as it sounds. And even if he manages to win a decision, Ellenberger is knocking on the door to a title shot. A knockout might put him over the top. Hear more from "The Juggernaut" in the full entry, including his thoughts on where he is in the welterweight division and how he's handling his profile growing more and more.

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

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Event: UFC on Fuel TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger"Date: Wed., Feb. 15, 2012, at 9 p.m. ET on FUEL TVLocation: CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska Main event: 170 lbs.: Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger Main card (Fuel): 265 lbs.: Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman145 lbs.: Jonathan Brookins vs. Rani Yahya185 lbs.: Aaron Simpson vs. Ronny Markes Preliminary card (May not be broadcast): TBA *Fight card and line up subject to change For all the latest and greatest news and notes on UFC on Fuel TV 1: "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" click here.

Posted in: vs, lb, card, sanchez, fuel

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When Jake Ellenberger first heard that he would be headlining a UFC in his hometown against Diego Sanchez, he didn’t believe it.

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

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First FOX, then FX, and now Fuel TV. The UFC has announced the organization’s first live event on Fuel TV, a February 15 show headlined by welterweight action in the form of Diego Sanchez vs. Jake Ellenberger. The two had been rumored to rumble for some time with the specific date left to speculation while Sanchez healed from a broken hand, at least until now that is. Were Ellenberger not enough of a challenge to begin with, the bout will also be taking place in Omaha, Nebraska where the 26-year old hails from. Ellenberger has won his last five fights including a sub-minute knockout of former Strikeforce middleweight champ Jake Shields in September at UFN 25. The 26-5 Ellenberger’s only loss inside the Octagon was the result of a Split Decision against Carlos Condit while racking up other stoppages over the likes of John Howard, Mike Pyle, and Sean Pierson. Ellenberger Confident He Can Beat Champion Georges St. Pierre An original Ultimate Fighter winner, Sanchez has strung together back-to-back wins over Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann and holds an overall record of 23-4 with past victories over Clay Guida, Kenny Florian, and Nick Diaz. Fuel TV is owned by FOX making the show one of many the two sides have already planned for the first quarter of 2012 including two FX cards and one on FOX. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC Tweet

Posted in: ellenberger, tv, sanchez, fuel tv, fuel

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Diego Sanchez will attempt to continue his ascent back up the welterweight ladder when he takes on red-hot contender Jake Ellenberger at UFC on Fuel TV 1, which is scheduled to take place at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb., on Feb. 15, 2012. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) just officially announced the volatile 170-pound match up between the "Dream" and the "Juggernaut," confirming that it will serve as the main event of the evening. Sanchez is currently riding a two-fight win streak since returning to the division after a failed bid to wrest the 155-pound title from the clutches of then UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn at UFC 107 back in Dec. 2009. He stumbled in his first fight back at welterweight, dropping a unanimous decision to John Hathaway, but managed to later go on to outpoint Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann in back-to-back performances. It certainly won't get any easier for Sanchez -- who is returning from a long layoff because of a broken hand -- against Ellenberger, who is on an absolute tear, even piquing the interest of UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre. Ellenberger, who claims he's got the style to finally dethrone the king of the 170-pound mountain, is fresh off a crushing knockout over top-ranked welterweight and former number one division contender, Jake Shields, at UFC Fight Night 25. It marked the fourth time in his five most recent appearances inside the Octagon that Ellenberger has finished an opponent, taking out Mike Pyle, John Howard and Sean Pearson in impressive fashion. And if he makes it five out of six against Sanchez, he'll do it in front of a hometown crowd. Ellenberger hails from Omaha and even serves as an assistant wrestling coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. No pressure. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for additional UFC on Fuel TV 1: "Ellenberger vs. Sanchez" fight card updates, news and notes.

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

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Jake Ellenberger will face Diego Sanchez in the main event of the UFC debut on the FUEL TV network.The two welterweights are confirmed for the slot and...

Posted in: ufc, diego sanchez, sanchez, ufc debut, debut

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Reports of a welterweight clash between Jake Ellenberger for the UFC on FOX 2 card were found untrue when Sanchez’ manager denied them on Twitter recently. However, it seems the fight is still on for some time in 2012. Ellenberger is coming off the biggest win of his career, as he stopped Jake Shields to improve to 5-1 in the UFC. “The Juggernaut” landed a heavy knee on Shields, a former contender for the UFC welterweight title and an ex-Strikeforce champion, and followed that up with a series of punches that ended the fight. Sanchez was set to meet Matt Hughes earlier this year, but suffered a hand injury in training and was forced to pull out of the fight. The former Ultimate Fighter winner is 23-4 in his career and is working his way back into title-talk at 170 pounds after competing as a lightweight for much of his career. Reports of the fight being a go were made by HeavyMMA, as nothing has been confirmed by the UFC. UFC on FOX 2 is expected to take place on January 28 in Chicago. Other potential landing spots for the bout expected in the period directly after that include a trio of events in February and a recently rumored show in Australia on March 4. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

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

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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

Welterweight contenders Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez have agreed to square off at an early-2012 UFC event, but an exact card hasn’t been determined and won’t be UFC on Fox 2 on January 28 in Chicago, according to Heavy MMA. Ellenberger (26-5) knocked out recent title challenger Jake Shields in just 53-seconds in September for his fifth-straight win following a split decision loss to Carlos Condit in his Octagon debut in 2009. Sanchez (23-4) hasn’t fought since topping Martin Kampmann in March for his second-straight win after a hand injury forced him out of a September bout against Matt Hughes. The UFC’s early-2012 schedule includes UFC on FX 1 on Jan. 20, UFC 143 on Feb. 3, and a March 3 event that could be the third UFC on Fox event. For the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com. Pictured: Diego Sanchez

Posted in: ufc, ellenberger, event, sanchez, ufc rumors

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Diego Sanchez has a "dream." The artist formerly known as "The Nightmare" wants to win a title while fighting under the UFC banner. Because he failed to do so in his venture down in the lightweight division, he's returned to welterweight in an attempt to do so there. Wins over Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann earned him a shot at Matt Hughes, which was ultimately negated by a broken hand Sanchez suffered in training. It may have been a bit of a blessing in disguise, though. That's because it opened up his schedule for a future fight booking against Jake Ellenberger, which is exactly the route the UFC has decided to go. According to Heavy.com, the two have agreed to a bout for sometime in early 2012, though a date and location are still unknown at this time, likely because of Sanchez still needing a bit of time to heal his hand. Ellenberger has been spending his days without a date calling out UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre. "The Juggernaut" claims he's got the style to finally dethrone the king of the 170-pound mountain. That may be so. In fact, "Rush" believes he'll eventually tango with the rising contender. But first, Ellenberger will have to get through Sanchez and he thinks he'll do exactly that. Here's what he told Tatame.com: "He's a great name, he's fought a lot of great fighters. I would love to fight Diego. He brings a lot of good tools to the table -- but he won't beat me." There were rumors aplenty regarding when exactly this bout will take place, with UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago on Jan. 28 a leading candidate. But Malki Kawa, Sanchez's manager, dispelled those rumors on Twitter and the date and location remains uncertain. But it does look like this welterweight war is going down early next year, Maniacs. Who do you like?

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

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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

Read the full article at Heavy MMA

submitted by FightCove [link] [6 comments]

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

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YES! One of the original winners of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) wants back on the show ... this time as a coach. Diego Sanchez, the network reality show's season one winner, has expressed interest in coaching the show and already has an opposing coach in mind. B.J. Penn. "The Dream" (via Fight Hub TV) states that while he wants to challenge for the title one day, he wouldn't mind coaching on a future season while he's getting there: "My thing right now is to coach that show, I know that a title shot for me is going to happen one day it will but I would love to coach that show right now. I would like it to be against BJ (Penn); he is back at welterweight, let's go do it and have a rematch, I think it would be great. I have a lot I can show these guys and Jesus Christ has blessed me with an ability that needs to be shared." As is tradition on the show, the two opposing coaches fight each other at the end of the season. Penn and Sanchez have already faced off at UFC 107 back in December of 2009. Penn defeated Sanchez in the fifth and final round of their lightweight title fight via doctor stoppage due to a cut on Diego's forehead thanks to a well placed kick by "The Prodigy." Sanchez will probably have to find another counterpart if he were to earn a slot as coach, as Penn recently announced he was taking time off to enjoy life after his loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137 last weekend. The athlete formerly known as, "The Nightmare" would join Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping, Josh Koschek and Matt Serra as former participants on the show to return as coaches. The Ultimate Fighter is in its last season on SPIKE and will now be carried on FOX in 2012. Anyone lucky enough to grab a spot as a coach will recieve some very good exposure to such a wide audience. Would a season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) pitting "The Dream" and "The Prodigy" as opposing coaches be must see TV for you, or does Penn stand benefitting anything from a fight with Sanchez after already having soundly defeated him? Thoughts?

Posted in: show, season, coach, sanchez, penn

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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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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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Albuquerque, N.M. – Top UFC welterweight contender Diego Sanchez had the cast removed from his right hand yesterday, clearing him to resume full training activities. Sanchez was slated to fight Matt Hughes at UFC 135 on Sept. 24 when he suffered a broken bone in his right hand on Sept. 5, forcing him out of the fight. Even though he has been injured, Sanchez has continued to train full-time, staying in peak physical condition. "I feel great," Sanchez said to Penny Jo MMA. "In some senses, this injury has been a blessing, because I’ve been forced to train in ways and on things that I never before had thought of or considered. I truly feel as going though this injury is going to make me a better fighter in the long run." "I can’t wait to get back in the Octagon and compete. I think the fans will like what they see too," he added. No new fight has yet been scheduled for Sanchez, who holds a 25-4 career record.

Posted in: fight, diego sanchez, sanchez, train fulltime, condition i

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Diego Sanchez is planning a return to the UFC in February 2012 according to his manager, Malki Kawa, who told MMA Weekly "The Dream" is about 75-80 percent healed from the broken hand that forced him out of his UFC 135 bout against Matt Hughes. Anyone out there have an opponent in mind for his return? Photo courtesy of UFC.com

Posted in: ufc, diego sanchez, sanchez, return, manager

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Diego Sanchez is likely to make a return to action in early 2012, according to his manager.Malki Kawa, who heads up First Round Management, told MMA Weekly...

Posted in: sanchez, return, managermalki kawa, round management, kawa

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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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You’ll never forget your first Nick Diaz interview, or your second, or third, and you get the picture. For pure stream of consciousness insights from a pure fighter, Diaz never disappoints. And as he’s gone from Stockton, California to the UFC, to PRIDE, to Elite XC and Strikeforce and back again to the UFC, he has never wavered in who he is and has never subscribed to the professional athlete’s handbook of clichés.That could get you in trouble at times, but Diaz has never shown any desire to follow a particular path in his professional career. Yeah, he wants to make money just like the next guy, but he’s been willing to shoot himself in the foot, if only to prove that what really matters at the end of the day is your performance. And whether you stand for or against mixed martial arts’ version of antihero, you will agree that he always performs when the lights hit him in the Octagon.“Every time you watch Nick Diaz, you’re about to see a fight and you can’t guarantee that with all these matches,” said Diaz’ friend and longtime training partner Gilbert Melendez, the current Strikeforce lightweight champion. “A lot of people treat this as a sparring session or they could be a little boring, but when you see Nick Diaz, he’s there to fight and you’re gonna see a full-on exciting fight. The guy comes at you to fight; not to win on the scorecards and not to win the points, but to come out and finish the fight. He’ll test your heart, he’ll test your chin, and he’ll test everything about you. If you try to stall him out, he’ll talk you into a fight. He’ll tell you ‘stop being a sissy, fight me.’ I think the other thing about Nick Diaz is that he’s very bold and blunt, and he’s consistent. A lot of people get frustrated with a lot of the things he says, but most people wish they had the guts to be as honest as he is.”Honesty is a dirty word to most professional athletes, and at times you can understand why. You’ve got teammates and coaching staffs to worry about, image issues to protect, and endorsement deals to keep intact. In an individual sport like MMA, there is a bit more in the way of “real talk,” but no one has taken it to the level of Diaz. Yet the best part of this aspect of his personality is that this is who he is. He’s not playing a character for the cameras. The first time I spoke to him was in 2005, shortly before his fight with then-unbeaten Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez at the TUF2 finale in Las Vegas. At the time, Diaz was 4-1 in the UFC, with finishes of Jeremy Jackson, Robbie Lawler, Drew Fickett, and Koji Oishi sandwiching a lone split decision loss to Karo Parisyan. Diaz, looking to close in on a shot at Matt Hughes’ welterweight title, didn’t think a victory over the upstart Sanchez would move him any closer to that goal, but with it being a nationally televised bout on Spike TV, he took the fight. Then again, he took every fight because that’s what he did. And despite the athletic gifts that were made evident over the years, he never saw himself as being like his peers when it came to natural talent. He was a fighter, not an athlete.“My best way to say it is that most good athletes are just that – good athletes,” he explained back in 2005.  “They were brought up being athletes; they had somebody pushing them, encouraging them, taking them to practice – whether they were playing football, doing swimming, boxing or wrestling.  That takes a lot of money and positive encouragement.  That’s stuff people like me don’t get.  It doesn’t work like that.”“All the athleticism that I have, it’s because of me,” Diaz continued.  “I didn’t even have a dad around.  I didn’t have a dad to put me in some wrestling camp, and I didn’t have aunts and uncles coming around to help me out.  My mom, she’s been working at Lyon’s restaurant in Lodi for like 25 years.  She took me to swimming practice when I was younger. For some reason she stuck me in swimming, and I’d be trying to run off and cut practice, and she’d drag me back to practice just so I did something.”  Eventually, Diaz would find jiu-jitsu, and then mixed martial arts. He turned pro in August of 2001 with a first round submission of Mike Wick, and two years later he was in the UFC. By late-2005, Sanchez was the only obstacle standing between him and the next level in the organization, and with so much on the line, Diaz’ usual intensity ramped up ten-fold. Backstage at the Hard Rock that night, with only a black curtain separating the two camps, Diaz and Sanchez began jawing at each other, with the fight almost kicking off before fans even got a glimpse of the two combatants. Consider that in 2005, many veterans of the sport believed that anyone coming off the new Spike TV reality show weren’t “real” fighters, so to Diaz, Sanchez represented everything he was fighting against.“It wasn’t so easy, especially starting out,” Diaz admitted back then.  “I fought all hard guys and I didn’t have ten people coaching, training, and feeding me.  I had to start out learning how to eat right, all by myself with nobody telling me how or by reading any books.  I learned just by training so hard and feeling like garbage when you do the wrong thing.”  “This is me and this is what I do,” he continued.  “I don’t have any fallback plans like the rest of these people.  If Diego Sanchez starts doing real bad at this, and he goes ahead and quits, he’s gonna have something else he’s doing.  He’ll go back to school or do something.  Let me tell you, I ain’t going back to school.”When the dust settled, Sanchez won the fight against Diaz that night via unanimous decision. But in a year of memorable battles (including the first bout between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar and the rematch between Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg), Sanchez-Diaz earned its place among the best of 2005. As I wrote in a year-end piece on the best fights of that 12 month period, “After (Rashad) Evans - (Brad) Imes and (Joe) Stevenson - (Luke) Cummo, Diego Sanchez and Nick Diaz had a pair of tough acts to follow, but they delivered with a connoisseur’s treat – a battle of bad blood and jiu-jitsu that saw Sanchez prove that he belongs among the contenders at 170 pounds, while Diaz showed MMA fans that you don’t need to be on top to have an effective ground attack. And though the judges’ scores of 30-27 would make observers think this match was a blowout, it was anything but that.”Diaz stumbled after the loss, losing consecutive bouts to Joe Riggs and Sean Sherk before a win outside the Octagon against Ray Steinbeiss put him back on track to finish out his UFC stint with wins over Josh Neer and Gleison Tibau. So as 2007 dawned, the scouting report on Diaz was that he was talented, but flawed; good, but not good enough to win at the next level. Yet the world would get to know a new Nick Diaz over the ensuing four years, one who kept true to himself outside of competition, but who went to the woodshed and elevated his game inside of it.The first revelation was his win over Takanori Gomi in a 2007 PRIDE battle in Las Vegas. The result was later overturned to a no contest when Diaz tested positive for marijuana after the fight, but anyone who saw the fight knew who the winner was and whose stock rose significantly, and it wasn’t Gomi.After an EliteXC win over Mike Aina and a cut-induced TKO loss to KJ Noons, Diaz went on a tear that hasn’t subsided yet. He’s won 10 in a row, earned the Strikeforce welterweight title, and has defeated Noons, Paul Daley, Frank Shamrock, Scott Smith, “Mach” Sakurai, and Evangelista Santos along the way. Nine of those 10 wins were finished before the final bell, and with his busy striking attack, Cesar Gracie black belt level submission game, and undeniable toughness, Diaz went from solid B-level fighter to one of the best in the game. As Melendez points out, his friend’s improvement may be pegged to a long adjustment to the intricacies of the professional fight game.“Obviously his boxing game has just become phenomenal,” explains Melendez. “He used to know how to throw a lot of strikes, but now he knows how to slip punches better, and he’s so much better tactically. He knows how to block in the pocket, he can fight outside the pocket, he can make you feel anxiety and he can come at you, and his jiu-jitsu game has just evolved even more. He stays on top of his game the whole time and I think the main thing about him now is that he fights his fight. Before, he would fight to try to play the game with the scorecards or try to figure it out because these fights have time limits. He’s the type of the guy that if it was a fight to the death, Nick or (brother) Nate Diaz would win every time, but it’s not to the death, it’s to the scorecards, so I think he had a lot of time to adjust to winning a fight in 15 minutes, and now he’s adjusted. He’s putting people away in one round because he knows how to take them to that place they don’t want to go. And he’s willing to go there.”What Diaz hasn’t been willing to do is change, and when he lost a lucrative and perhaps life-altering title shot against UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137 later this month after no-showing press conferences in Toronto and Las Vegas, he hurt himself on the business front yet again. By the same token, his stance may have earned him even more fans as the rebel who is willing to take a proverbial bullet to stick to his guns.“Sometimes it can get a negative reaction, but in the long run, just being consistent and real a hundred percent, at the end of the day if you can keep that track record, there’s no better compliment you can get from someone than saying ‘hey man, this guy’s for real.’ And that’s what Nick is,” said Melendez. “At times it might give him a little bump in the road, like this time with the miscommunication and everything, but for me, as a friend, I think that if he continues to keep it real one hundred percent, it will be a positive in the future.”Diaz would lose in a lot of ways, financially and otherwise, when he was dropped from the St-Pierre fight, but he also found a way to land on his feet when he was put into the UFC 137 main event slot against former two division world champion BJ Penn. Why, you may ask, after all the UFC’s plans for a GSP-Diaz bout went up in smoke? Well, it may have to do with the fact that for whatever quirks Diaz has in terms of showing up to media events on time, or at all, or his lack of accessibility at times (well, most of the time), once you do catch him, he’s not at all what you would expect from the reputation he’s had all these years. Is he like most of his peers? No. But he doesn’t hide from who he is either. Nick Diaz is true to himself, and if he simply wants to let his fighting speak for itself, so be it, because you can’t help but appreciate the fact that, for him, this isn’t a sport, and from the first time I spoke to him nearly six years ago, he made that clear. This is war.“I just think in my head that the guy that I’m fighting had it easy,” said Diaz in 2005.  “They haven’t been where I’ve been and they’re not as crazy as I am and that’s the way it is.  You’re just not.  I know you’re not.  I know it.  That’s the way I think.  I know you’re not trying to get up out of this hell hole.  You’re just trying to be the best that you can be.    I’m gonna come out of my hell hole and I’m gonna beat you.”

Posted in: fight, diaz, time, ’t, sanchez

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Titan Fighting Championships 20 took place on Friday in Kansas City, where lightweight prospect Dakota Cochrane upset former WEC champ Jamie Varner on just two days notice and Eddie Sanchez edged Strikeforce vet Brett Rogers in a split decision. The complete Titan FC 20 results (via MMAjunkie) were: Dakota Cochrane def. Jamie Varner via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Eddie Sanchez def. Brett Rogers via split decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29) Anthony Gutierrez def. Shane Hutchinson via submission (anaconda Choke) – Round 1, 1:05 James Krause def. Sean Wilson via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:39 Justyn Riley def. Alex Huddleston via TKO (strikes) – Round 2 Andrew Whitney def. Laramie Shaffer via knockout (flying knee) – Round 3, 0:21 Pictured: Eddie Sanchez

Posted in: round, sanchez, jamie varner, alex huddleston, split decision

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Posted in: sanchez, titan, brett rogers, eddie sanchez, woman

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Former WEC champion Jamie Varner fell short against late replacement Dakota Cochrane, losing by decision and may be talking retirement following the loss.

Posted in: sanchez, jamie, varner, wec, cochrane

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Late replacement Dakota Cochrane made the most of his-big stage opportunity, downing former WEC champ Jamie Varner via unanimous decision, and UFC vet Eddie Sanchez earned a unanimous-decision win over former Strikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers in the featured contests of Friday's Titan Fighting Championship 20 event. Titan Fighting Championship 20 took place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The evening's main card aired on HDNet.

Posted in: championship, sanchez, titan, kansas city, memorial hall

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Not too long ago this blog posted news about Brett Rogers being involved in a domestic abuse case. According to the charges, he had assaulted his wife in front of his children and the cops were called by his neighbors. The case against him fell apart when his wife opted not to testify against her husband and the prosecution was unable to prove without a doubt that he was guilty. Tonight marks the return of Brett Rogers to MMA. Some of us are excited to see his fight against Eddie Sanchez. Others are extremely mad that he's being given a second chance. Brett Rogers vs Eddie Sanchez This fight is between a Strikeforce veteran and a UFC veteran. Since being cut from Strikeforce and released from jail, Brett Rogers has stated publicly that he is annoyed that no one at Zuffa will take his calls. He views his losing streak as a result of only facing top competition since blitzing Andrei Arlovski. In his last fight, he was the victim of a Catch-as-Catch-Can clinic by Josh Barnett who broke Rogers' will with incredibly heavy hips and overall better grappling. Eddie Sanchez has had his own roller coaster of a career. Since going 3-3 in the UFC including wins over Sao Palelei and Wolfs Lair grappling coach Mario Neto and losses to Mirko Filipovic and Antoni Hardonk, Sanchez has split his time on the regional circuit and Bellator as a participant in the Season 3 Heavyweight tournament. He was bounced early in a loss to Neil Grove and dropped his next fight to Mike Whitehead in December of 2010.  As far as a match up goes, this is pretty even. Neither fighter really excels in any one aspect of the game and both could and should be considered bruisers. The power advantage goes to Rogers but the better boxing belongs to Eddie Sanchez. Neither fighter is really competent in wrestling or BJJ so expect this fight to take place on the feet. As the more mobile fighter, I expect Eddie Sanchez to use his striking to stop Rogers in the third round.  Jamie Varner vs Dakota Cochrane Since losing to Shane Roller at WEC 53, Jamie Varner finds himself at a point in his career where he is unsure of his fighting future. He was a rumored opponent for Shinya Aoki but negotiations with DREAM fell through. Instead, he signed a contract with XFO and defeated Tyler Combs with a north-south choke in the first round. Tonight he will attempt to put together his first winning streak since 2009 when he faces Dakota Cochrane.  Dakota Cochrane is 9-1 on the regional level with four wins coming by way of submission. His only recognizable opposition is T.J. O'Brien who defeated him with a rear naked choke. Cochrane has stayed extremely active fighting 9 times since 2010 and has been working on his finishing abilities.  This fight is another in a long line for Varner who is working himself back to the big show. Though towards the end of his WEC career he was unable to defeat any of the better lightweights under contract and finished 0-3-1 in his last four fights in the organization, he's still extremely talented. He has solid wrestling and boxing and shouldn't get shook by a young fighter like Cochrane. He should pick up the win with a stoppage in the first round.  The remainder of the card is comprised of solid regional level talent looking to progress in their careers. Among the fighters to watch are Zak Cummings and Bobby Cooper. Cooper takes on A.J. Matthews who recently lost by knockout at Strikeforce: Diaz vs Daley. Cummings' opponent is Brendan Seguin who is the very embodiment of a midwestern fighter. Seguin fights multiple times a year on the regional level against extremely low level competition and has padded his record against what many would consider to be fodder. Cummings may not be the most talented fighter but he has real experience against the better competition. I'd expect him to roll through Seguin.  SBN coverage of Titan Fighting Championships 20: Rogers vs. Sanchez

Posted in: fight, fighter, roger, sanchez, brett rogers

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Filed under: HDNetBrett Rogers returned to the cage on Friday night for the first time since being released by Strikeforce, and it did not go well. At the end of a dull three-round contest, the judges awarded Eddie Sanchez a split-decision victory. The fight could have gone either way, and neither fighter did enough to really earn a victory. For most of the bout they were gasping for air, sweating profusely and not looking like they were in very good shape, but someone had to win and two judges scored it 30-27 for Sanchez, while one judge had it 29-28 Rogers. After the fight, Sanchez did his best to talk up what had been a relatively uneventful fight. "He caught me a couple times," Sanchez said of Rogers. "He does have some power." Sanchez landed a number of leg kicks on the flat-footed Rogers, and eventually it was Sanchez who looked the worse for wear from all that leg-to-leg contact: Sanchez had a deep cut on his right shin and a swollen right foot from landing all those kicks to Rogers' lead leg. But Sanchez said afterward that the injury to his lower leg hadn't affected him. "I really didn't notice it," Sanchez said. "It split open, I think, in the second round. With the adrenaline rush you don't really feel it." Rogers, the former Strikeforce fighter who was released by Zuffa following three losses and an arrest on domestic violence charges, may not have anywhere to go from here. He has now lost four of his last five fights, he has been involved in trouble out of the cage, and his recent fights have been snooze-fests that left the fans booing. Those are three big strikes against him: Rogers' career has just about hit rock bottom. The Sanchez-Rogers fight took all the energy out of the building after what had been shaping up as an entertaining Titan Fighting Championships card. Of particular note, Andrew Whitney got things started on the HDNet broadcast with a sensational flying knee knockout of Laramie Shaffer. After Shaffer had won the first two rounds, Whitney exploded with a knee to Shaffer's face at the start of the third, knocking him cold in one of the highlight-reel knockouts of the year. It was disappointing that Sanchez and Rogers couldn't provide such fireworks. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, judge, roger, sanchez, eddie sanchez

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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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