Having lost comfortably to Myles Jury at UFC 171, the question facing Diego Sanchez is where should he go next?
Stick around in any sport for long enough and the competition will eventually surpass you. This fact is so well established that one might a…
Having lost comfortably to Myles Jury at UFC 171, the question facing Diego Sanchez is where should he go next?
Stick around in any sport for long enough and the competition will eventually surpass you. This fact is so well established that one might as well categorize it as law.
Has Sanchez really reached that point in his career? It’s difficult to say.
Unlike many fighters who compete past their primes, the original winner of The Ultimate Fighter remains somewhat competitive. His chin appears no less robust, his passion remains undiminished and his body continues to serve him relatively well.
However, it would be delusional to think that Sanchez can still challenge the sport’s elite. Should he be content to function as a gatekeeper for the younger generation?
The fan in me would love nothing more than to watch the former “Nightmare” compete in a series of barnburners for the next several years, yet my conscience leads me elsewhere. I have no desire to see any fighter reduced to a figurative punching bag for my entertainment.
I have no doubt some will argue that Sanchez is still good enough to hang around just outside of the lightweight division’s top 10, and I’m inclined to agree with them.
But how long do we expect that to last? One or two more years? It’s impossible to say, but I’m not entirely sure that it actually matters.
Must a fighter’s decline become glaringly obvious before our thoughts turn towards retirement? It has always struck me as odd that the cumulative effects of repeated concussions must manifest as an unconscious heap in the middle of the cage before health becomes our primary concern.
We know enough about brain injury to realise that its deficits may go unseen for years, remaining latent while damage continues to accumulate. If you haven’t already, I would recommend setting aside half an hour to read Scott Harris’ piece on the subject.
Even as I write this, it’s hard not to experience a certain amount of discomfort when speculating about the health of a fighter who isn’t in the midst of a serious career decline. That’s part of the problem, though.
It is taboo to even hint at retirement unless the fighter in question has been knocked out repeatedly in recent fights. Preventing the fighter from actually deteriorating to that point should be our priority.
In the case of Diego Sanchez, we must also consider his style of fighting. Throughout his career, the 32-year-old has habitually engaged in precisely the kind of career-shortening contests that lead to serious conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
It would be easy to brush off such concerns, particularly with Sanchez blaming a bout of food poisoning for his performance at UFC 171.
However, I saw no real indication that he was struggling physically against Jury. What I saw was a fighter past his prime being outclassed by a talented young prospect.
Ultimately, the question of when to retire lies with the fighter. We can respect that while discussing the issue of fighter safety honestly.
Sanchez may very well be able to compete safely and justify his spot on the roster, but that shouldn’t prevent us from questioning the wisdom of that choice.
(Sanchez grimaces as the raw meat works its intestinal magic. / Photo via Getty)
You read the headline right. Diego Sanchez took to twitter earlier today to explain why he lost to Miles Jury at UFC 171. It wasn’t due to age, strategy, or simply fighting from a previous era. No, the culprit was steak tartare with a side of raw quail egg:
(Sanchez grimaces as the raw meat works its intestinal magic. / Photo via Getty)
You read the headline right. Diego Sanchez took to twitter earlier today to explain why he lost to Myles Jury at UFC 171. It wasn’t due to age, strategy, or simply fighting from a previous era. No, the culprit was steak tar tar with a side of raw quail egg:
As hilarious as it sounds, Sanchez wasn’t trying to be funny. He even tweeted out the menu of the restaurant he attended, SER Steakhouse—”an exciting new breed of Dallas steakhouse” that promises to offer “a sophisticated and urban dining experience unlike any other.” They delivered on that promise, but not in the way they intended; Sanchez spent the day of the fight vomiting, which we’d say is an experience unlike any other.
After losing to Jury, Sanchez is now 1-3 in the last two years of competition. We suggest less high brow dining and more KFC.
One of the winners on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Diego Sanchez, believes a bad dinner choice after the UFC 171 weigh-ins cost him against surging prospect Myles Jury.
The Greg Jackson’s MMA fighter took to Twitter this afternoon to…
One of the winners on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Diego Sanchez, believes a bad dinner choice after the UFC 171 weigh-ins cost him against surging prospect Myles Jury.
The Greg Jackson’s MMA fighter took to Twitter this afternoon to explain to his fans why Saturday night didn’t go according to plan.
I wasn’t my self last night I sustained Food poisoning from eating a beef tar tar with raw quail egg as a appetizer at dinner
In a subsequent tweet, Sanchez posted this link to ensure no one could accuse him of fabricating the meal in question.
Jury, who improved to 14-0 with the decision win, used precision striking from the outside—as well as a well-timed double-leg takedown—to outwork Sanchez for the better part of 15 minutes at their UFC 171 encounter.
Sanchez, a former title challenger at lightweight, is now just 1-2 since dropping down from welterweight one year ago.
The 32-year-old, who was 17-0 before suffering a loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 69, is 3-5 overall in his past eight bouts and hasn’t scored a decisive win since he defeated Paulo Thiago at UFC 121 in October 2010.
While Sanchez recorded a victory over Martin Kampmann in March 2011, as well as a decision win over Takanori Gomi in March 2013, fans almost unanimously panned the outcomes as very poor scoring by the judges in both instances.
Despite the tough stretch, the fan-friendly brawler seems like he has every intention to fight on.
I’m heart broken and very very motivated it hurts so bad. I’ll be back better than ever!
In a showdown between the old guard and new guard of the lightweight division, Diego Sanchez faced off with Myles Jury.
Jury entered the fight with an undefeated record and a big win over Michael Johnson. Sanchez, meanwhile, was coming off his 2013 Fig…
In a showdown between the old guard and new guard of the lightweight division, Diego Sanchez faced off with Myles Jury.
Jury entered the fight with an undefeated record and a big win over Michael Johnson. Sanchez, meanwhile, was coming off his 2013 Fight of the Year candidate opposite Gilbert Melendez.
It was a big fight to determine who would keep their spot in the UFC lightweight rankings and when push came to shove, Jury took a handy decision win. So what did we learn?
Myles Jury May Be a Legitimate Contender
Myles Jury beat Diego Sanchez. Easily. Like…really easily.
At no point was he seriously threatened and at no point was the fight not taking place precisely where he felt like. That kind of control over a successful veteran means a lot in terms of figuring out where Jury stacks up in the division.
That said, he didn’t ragdoll Sanchez in the same way that, say, Khabib Nurmagomedov ragdolled Pat Healy. That means–let me find my sunglasses–that the jury is still out…
YEAH!
Diego Sanchez is Done
Does Diego Sanchez still have fight in him? Obviously he does.
Hearing him struggle to cut a promo tape for this fight, though, was genuinely disheartening. Watching him get absolutely dominated by Jury simply by having a modest amount of footwork? That didn’t feel great, either.
Myles Jury is making this look super easy. A little movement, basic striking and Diego Sanchez is flummoxed.
Sanchez is still a fun fighter and a name brand and, unfortunately, that means the UFC is almost certainly willing to ride him all the way into a casket. The reality, though, is that Sanchez has an outdated skill set and fighting style that will only result in more blunt force trauma to the skull.
What’s Next for Jury?
Jury, stupidly, finds himself ranked outside the lightweight top-15 in spite of beating no. 11 Michael Johnson just 18 months ago. As such, he will likely find himself getting an opponent closer to the top-10 next time.
There are plenty of options. The winner of Jim Miller vs. Bobby Green is a great idea. Other names that make sense are Edson Barboza, Rustam Khabilov and Ross Pearson.
What’s Next for Sanchez?
I wish retirement, but I doubt that’s the case.
Sanchez, as stated, won’t beat any up-and-comers like Jury. He just won’t. Having good cardio and thoughtlessly plodding forward just doesn’t get you wins like it used to.
There are plenty of established veterans, though, that are in the same boat as Sanchez. Jamie Varner, Melvin Guillard and Joe Lauzon would all be excellent potential opponents for him.
Anyway, that doesn’t mean UFC 171 won’t be fun to watch, because honestly, this is a talent-rich card with some very competitive match-ups. In the main event, Johny Hendricks and (incredibly) Robbie Lawler will fight for the UFC’s vacant welterweight title, while a quartet of other 170-pounders (Condit, Woodley, Shields, Lombard) jockey for their place in the divisional pecking order. Plus: The always-entertaining Diego Sanchez will shed some more brain cells in a scrap with the undefeated Myles Jury.
Live UFC 171 results will be available after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook pages for extra analysis and updates. And as always, thanks for being here.
Anyway, that doesn’t mean UFC 171 won’t be fun to watch, because honestly, this is a talent-rich card with some very competitive match-ups. In the main event, Johny Hendricks and (incredibly) Robbie Lawler will fight for the UFC’s vacant welterweight title, while a quartet of other 170-pounders (Condit, Woodley, Shields, Lombard) jockey for their place in the divisional pecking order. Plus: The always-entertaining Diego Sanchez will shed some more brain cells in a scrap with the undefeated Myles Jury.
Live UFC 171 results will be available after the jump beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and keep an eye on our Twitter and Facebook pages for extra analysis and updates. And as always, thanks for being here.
UFC 171 Prelim Results
– Kelvin Gastelum def. Rick Story via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).
– Jessica Andrade def. Raquel Pennington via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29)
– Dennis Bermudez def. Jimy Hettes via TKO, 2:57 of round 3
– Alex Garcia def. Sean Spencer via split-decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
– Frank Trevino def. Renee Forte via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Justin Scoggins def. Will Campuzano via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
– Sean Strickland def. Robert “Bubba” McDaniel via submission (rear-naked choke), 4:33 of round 1
– Robert Whiteford def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x 2)
Round 1: After some feeling-out, OSP lands a body kick and goes right into a successful takedown. Very slick. OSP in side control but Krylov locking his head down, trying one of those one-arm guillotines from the bottom that never ever work. So, St. Preux sets up a Von Flue choke, putting his shoulder on Krylov’s neck and squeezing it together with his free arm. Krylov goes limp and referee Dan Miragliotta jumps in. Ovince St. Preux def. Nikita Krylov via submission (Von Flue choke), 1:29 of round 1.
Jake Shields vs. Hector Lombard
Round 1: Lombard takes the center of the cage, swings his way into a clinch, and dumps Shields on his ass. Shields gets up. Lombard lands hard and Shields falls to the mat. He ain’t following Shields down there, though. Shields gets up, Lombard lands hard. This really isn’t going well for Jake. Shields shoots and Lombard sees it coming, easily defending. They clinch agains the mat. Nice dirty boxing from Lombard and Shields scampers away. Shields shoots from a mile away and fails. Lombard abuses Shields with more punches. Shields is bleeding badly from near his left eye. Shields shoots, Lombard assaults him with punches and a kick, bashing Shields to the mat and getting on top. Shields trying to box Lombard off his back. The referee is getting impatient, saying “c’mon guys” over and over again even though both guys are staying active. Shields locks Lombard down in the last ten seconds, and survives to the second round. 10-9 Lombard, easy.
Round 2: Shields with an inside leg kick. Then he goes high. Lombard comes in slugging, but doesn’t land anything cleanly. Lombard fires a few more punches to get Shields covering up, then trips him to the mat again. Shields establishes full guard. Lombard doing very little from the top, partly due to Shields controlling his position. The ref breaks ‘em. Lombard might be slowing down. He’s flat footed right now, and the ref warms them for not engaging on the feet. They lock lead-hands in a pro-wrestling style test of strength. Shields shoots, Lombard sprawls. Shields throws an upkick and gets to his feet. Body kick Shields. Lombard lands a short left when Shields rushes in, then flips Shields to the mat again. The ref immediately says “c’mon guys.” Man, fuck that guy. Lombard in Shields’s guard. That’s the round. I’d give it to Lombard 10-9, but it was much closer than the first.
Round 3: Shields goes high with a kick. He tries it again, Lombard catches it and swings a big counterpunch. Lombard front-kicks Shields in the balls and gets warned for it. Shields goes back in pretty quickly, tries for a takedown, and gets reversed by Lombard, who gets on top of him once more. Lombard tries some actual ground-and-pound for a change, but it doesn’t last long. The ref stands them up. Shields shoots, Lombard sprawls right on top of him. Shields’s face is a bloody mess. Shields throwing some very ineffective strikes from the bottom. Lombard seems content to ride out the round on top of Shields. The ref stands them up again. Joe Rogan is burying Lombard’d performance, saying he’s “doing just enough to win.” In the waning seconds of the fight, Shields goes for a guillotine after Lombard tries for a takedown and it actually looks really tight, but the clock runs out.
Hector Lombard def. Jake Shields via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28). “Somebody gave Lombard the last round just because of that guillotine,” Rogan says.
Diego Sanchez vs. Myles Jury
This might the first time I’ve actually seen Myles Jury. They say he’s undefeated in the UFC, but shit, I wouldn’t know. Sanchez’s nose looks like it’s still broken from his fight against Melendez. He’s wearing a mohawk in the classic crazy-guy style.
Round 1: Both guys throwing at air for a while. Sanchez tries a spinning side kick and Jury nails him with a counterpunch. Sanchez backs up then starts giving Jury the “come on!” hand gesture. Jury tries a head kick. Sanchez barrels in with punches and lands one clean. They clinch on the fence. Sanchez looks to set up a takedown, but Jury spins out and escapes. Jury with a body kick, Sanchez returns fire. Jury catches a kick from Sanchez. Leg kick from Jury lands clean. Sanchez wades in brawling and Jury has to retreat. Jumping front kick from Sanchez, and a body kick that lands. Jury lands a punch that briefly wobbles Sanchez. He goes for the head kick, then tags Sanchez with a right hand. Jury scores a takedown in the last 30 seconds and drops a bomb from above. Sanchez threatens with a leg lock and Jury has to stop attacking and defend it. The round ends. Probably 10-9 Jury.
Round 2: Leg kick Jury. Sharp body kick from Sanchez. Sanchez swings wildly, and Jury has to get the eff out of dodge. Jury lands a monster overhand right that wobbles Sanchez, who grabs his eye in pain and surprise. Sanchez’s left eye is gashed. But Sanchez lands hard on Jury in a striking combo. Jury pops an uppercut when Sanchez is coming in, and ducks away. Jury sticks the jab. Sanchez’s face is looking rough. Sanchez lands a hard body kick. Sanchez lands a hard right hook as Jury shoots for a takedown, successfully. Sanchez grabs an arm-in guillotine. It looks tight, but Jury gives the ref a thumbs-up. Sanchez eventually has to let it go and they’re soon back on their feet. Jury lands a punch, Sanchez throws back. That’s the round.
Round 3: Jury jabbing. Then a leg kick. Sanchez tries a jumping front kick. Sanchez runs forward charging in with punches, as he likes to do. Head kick Jury. Sanchez fires another series of punches but can’t land much. Body kick Sanchez. And a leg kick. Sanchez fires to the body. Jury is doing a lot of avoiding at this point. He lands a counter-punch and slips out of the way. Nice flying knee from Jury nails Sanchez in the face. Jury takes Sanchez to the mat. Sanchez punches him off and lands a couple of upkicks to Jury’s body. They scrap on the mat and Sanchez attempts another guillotine as time runs out.
Myles Jury def. Diego Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28). Joe Rogan asks Jury if anything surprised him about fighting Diego Sanchez, and he says, “not to sound cocky, but it surprised me how easy I beat him.” Wow. Kind of a dick move, bro.
Carlos Condit vs. Tyron Woodley
Round 1: Woodley lands a nasty straight right and Condit is back on his heels already. Woodley does it again. He storms Condit with a flurry of strikes. Condit throws a side kick and Woodley smacks him again. They clinch against the fence, and Woodley lands a sharp elbow. They trade knees. Woodley slips in an uppercut. They separate. Condit fires some kicks that miss but lands a nice left hand. Condit shoots forward with a superman punch, and Woodley grabs him and deposits him on the mat. Condit working some high guard and threatens with a triangle. Woodley picks him up and tosses him to get out of it. Condit gets to his feet. Woodley ducks under a high kick and takes Condit to the mat again. Condit is up. Woodley lands a spinning elbow as Condit rushes in, but Condit attacks to the bell. Good round; I’d give it to Woodley 10-9.
Round 2: Leg kick Condit. Then high kicks with both legs. Woodley brushes Condit back with a big right hand. Woodley blasts forward and gets a takedown. Condit grimaces; he might have gotten injured on the way down. Woodley in Condit’s guard. The ref stands them up after a brief stalemate. Woodley lands a nasty leg kick, Condit spins around and goes down holding his right knee. The fight is over. Tyron Woodley def. Carlos Condit via TKO, 2:00 of round 2. Woodley makes his case for a title shot. In the replay, you can see that Woodley connected with Condit’s left knee, but Condit’s right knee visibly collapsed while he was spinning around on it. Pretty nasty. Condit might be gone for a while.
Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler
Lawler made his MMA debut three months after George W. Bush’s first inauguration. And here he is. It’s rare you get to see a man’s final shot at greatness, but this is probably it.
Round 1: Sharp leg kick from Hendricks to start. Lawler swarms and lands a bunch of hard punches. Hendricks fires his left hand from long distance. Lawler lands an uppercut as Hendricks charges in. They clinch against the fence. Hendricks disengages. Again, Hendricks shoots in and Lawler bashes him with an uppercut, then a couple more strikes before they separate. Hendricks lands another nice leg kick. And one to the inside. A 1-2 from Hendricks lands. Lawler lads a right hook as Hendricks advances. Hendricks throws his left hand, a leg kick, and shoots in. Dirty boxing from Hendricks against the fence. Hendricks works some knees to the thighs as the round ends. Hard to score…I’d give it to Lawler for landing the harder shots.
Round 2: Lawler with a left hand, and another. His leg is swelling up from Hendricks’s kicks, though. Lawler lands again. Hendricks storms forward, brawling at Lawler. He lands a punishing leg kick. Hendricks pawing with the jab. Hendricks lands punches, a knee, more punches, and finishes with a leg kick. More punches from Hendricks. He’s really turning it on now. Lawler lands a left. Hendricks throws punches to get inside and finishes with a hard inside leg kick. But Lawler catches Hendricks with a stiff punch. Leg kick Hendricks, left hand from Lawler. Knee and punch from Hendricks. Lawler ambling toward Hendricks, and Hendricks is pot-shotting him at will. They start slugging at close range. Lawler lands a head kick, but Hendricks returns with more punches. Lawler doesn’t know anything other than go forward, and it’s not working out for him tonight. Clear 10-9 for Hendricks.
Round 3: Lawler lands a leg kick of his own. But Hendricks returns it. A knee to the dome from Hendricks, a leg kick from Lawler. Lawler just stealing Hendricks’s gameplan now. But Hendricks lands a long series of punches and knees. Left hand from Hendricks lands. They trade hooks. Lawler staggers Hendricks with a punch, and pursues, smelling blood. Lawler landing some nasty shots, and Hendricks is wobbly but somehow he’s staying on his feet. Lawler chasing him around the cage landing shot after shot. Hendricks shoots for a desperation takedown, but Lawler defends it. Still, Hendricks gets a moment to clear the cobwebs, and he’s back to landing punches of his own. Knee and punches from Hendricks. Hendricks pops some jabs to the bell. What a crazy round. Both of these guys have iron chins.
Round 4: Lawler remains the aggressor, marching forward and landing punch after punch. Hendricks lands his leg kick again but Lawler appears unfazed and goes back to landing power shots. Hendricks shoots and is stuffed. His face is badly bloodied, due to a cut near his right eye. Lawler pops a jab, follows with a hook. Hendricks lands a pair of left hands. Lawler with a hook. He jacks Hendricks’s head back with an uppercut, but Hendricks fires right back. Lawler with a jab. Lawler lands a hook as Hendricks is throwing. Lawler landing that jab again. Leg kick from Hendricks lands. Hendricks shoots and lands a takedown. The round ends.
“YOU HAVE TO WIN THIS ROUND RIGHT FUCKIN’ NOW!!” Marc Laimon screams at Hendricks.
Round 5: Lawler with a big left hand. Hendricks is trying to keep the pressure on Lawler, stalking him around the cage. Hendricks shoots, Lawler defends. Hendricks with some knees to Lawler’s leg from a clinch against the fence. The ref breaks them. Lawler jabs. A punch and hard leg kick from Hendricks. And again. Hook/cross from Lawler. More punches from Lawler wobble Hendricks, but Hendricks lands some hard shots of his own, and Lawler stumbles back. Hendricks with an uppercut, followed by more punches. Two big punches and a leg kick from Hendricks. Hendricks shoots for the takedown and gets it. Lawler looks annoyed. Hendricks throws in some punches to Lawler’s head against the fence, and the round ends.
Johny Hendricks def. Robbie Lawler via unanimous decision (48-47 x 3). Hendricks is the new UFC welterweight champion, and he and his cornermen absolutely lose their shit in the cage. “Robbie’s fuckin’ tough,” Hendricks tells Joe Rogan. “God dang.” Hendricks thanks the fans, his wife, his daughters, his team. He says he knows he’ll face Lawler again. Great fight.
Myles Jury is 13-0, and the talented 25-year-old will meet No. 15-ranked Diego Sanchez at UFC 171 on Saturday.
The lightweight division has a lot of talent but few legitimate contenders. Jury wants to get into the mix at 155 pounds…
Myles Jury is 13-0, and the talented 25-year-old will meet No. 15-rankedDiego SanchezatUFC 171 on Saturday.
The lightweight division has a lot of talent but few legitimate contenders. Jury wants to get into the mix at 155 pounds.
Defeating longtime UFC vet Sanchez will put him on the right track.
Jury was a member of the 15th season of The Ultimate Fighter. He did not make it to the finals, but the split-decision loss in the house does not appear on his official MMA record. He came off the show and competed at the finale with a first-round submission victory over Chris Saunders.
The win was needed but expected. He did what he was supposed to do against inferior competition and then launched an impressive UFC run. He defeated quality competition in Michael Johnson, Ramsey Nijem and Mike Ricci to move to 4-0 in the organization.
Sanchez is a step up for Jury in name recognition. A win at UFC 171 would mean more for him than any previous victory. He will garner new fans who tune in to see Sanchez, and he will take the TUF veteran’s spot inside the Top 15.
The former lightweight title contender has not won a lightweight bout since 2009 (his 2013 win over TakanoriGomi was a catchweight bout after Sanchez failed to make weight). That fact is lost on most because perception is reality. Sanchez’s propensity for exciting fights, and his history within the UFC, makes his recent non-success null.
Sanchez still carries an aura with the crowd. He is a fan favorite who many view as top competition.
Technically speaking, Jury is every bit Sanchez’s equal, if he has not already surpassed him. He just needs to convince the UFC fans of that.
Defeating Sanchez will turn Jury into a player within the division. Michael Johnson, who lost to Jury in late 2012, is sitting just outside the Top 10 because of his wins over recognizable names like Joe Lauzon and Melvin Guillard.
That is all that Jury lacks. The marquee win.
UFC 171 is the chance for him to build his brand off Sanchez.
Dallas is in for a show with Jury vs. Sanchez. It will be a fun fight with a lot of action between two fighters who desperately want to raise their position in the lightweight division. Their backs are against the wall.
Sanchez will try to keep his reputation intact and rebuild himself as a contender, while Jury wants to show the public that he is a new name to become familiar with at 155.
His lightweight future may hinge on his performance in Dallas. He can make a statement by defeating Sanchez soundly, put his name alongside the other ranked lightweights and push for bigger fights in 2014.
Having lost comfortably to Myles Jury at UFC 171, the question facing Diego Sanchez is where should he go next?
