Diego Sanchez may have awoken from his confessed nightmare, but there are still plenty of ghosts for him to bust before a title shot is more than just a dream.
Following his victory by unanimous decision over Martin Kampmann in UFC Live: Sanchez …
Diego Sanchez may have awoken from his confessed nightmare, but there are still plenty of ghosts for him to bust before a title shot is more than just a dream.
Following his victory by unanimous decision over Martin Kampmann in UFC Live: Sanchez vs Kampmann, Sanchez is set to face UFC Hall of Famer and former two-time welterweight champion, Matt Hughes, in September at UFC 135 in Denver, Colorado.
Diego consistently proves himself to be one of the most exciting fighters to watch in the UFC, having won several ‘Fight of the Night’ bonuses in the past three years and one ‘Fight of the Year’ bonus in 2006 for his victory by unanimous decision over Karo Parisyan.
Provided Sanchez defeats Hughes—who lost 21 seconds into the first round to B.J. Penn in November 2010 after being knocked out for the second time ever—however, there are three fighters ahead of Sanchez in the division that should automatically be on his hit list during his journey for a title shot.
In: “I WANT MY BELT BACK!” Out: “There’s gone be some black on black crime.” VidProps: UFC/YouTube
Check this out: official UFC propaganda would have us believe that Rampage Jackson is actually out there somewhere working. They even have the nerve to pause on a calendar square labeled “JIU JITSU”, when we all know damn well that ‘Page would pull guard right after he lets someone hold an umbrella for him.
In: “I WANT MY BELT BACK!” Out: “There’s gone be some black on black crime.” VidProps: UFC/YouTube
Check this out: official UFC propaganda would have us believe that Rampage Jackson is actually out there somewhere working. They even have the nerve to pause on a calendar square labeled “JIU JITSU”, when we all know damn well that ‘Page would pull guard right after he lets someone hold an umbrella for him.
Main Card Light Heavyweight Championship: Jon Jones vs Quinton Jackson
Matt Hughes vs Diego Sanchez
Ben Rothwell vs Mark Hunt
Nate Diaz vs Takanori Gomi
Travis Browne vs Rob Broughton
Spike Card
Tony Ferguson vs Aaron Riley
Nick Ring vs Tim Boetsch
Facebook Card
James Te Huna vs Ricardo Romero
Takeya Mizugaki vs Cole Escovedo
We were supposed to get a fight between Kid Yamamoto and Damacio Page, but it was announced yesterday that both guys had managed to get hurt in training.
After an unsuccessful stint at lightweight, Diego Sanchez transitioned to the welterweight division where he has found more promise for himself. Now, following back-to-back victories over Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann, Sanchez has been granted the o…
After an unsuccessful stint at lightweight, Diego Sanchez transitioned to the welterweight division where he has found more promise for himself. Now, following back-to-back victories over Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann, Sanchez has been granted the opportunity to meet Matt Hughes at UFC 135.
But his current win-streak didn’t come just through hard work and dedication in the gym.
Sanchez was a guest on MMAWeekly Radio where he revealed some details about his personal life and how he was previously living a “rockstar life.” He said his life began to take a wrong turn following his loss to B.J. Penn at UFC 107.
“After I lost the B.J. Penn fight, I lost control. I lost control of life,” Sanchez told MMAWeekly.com.
“I took the wrong path. I took the path of partying, and I was just drinking away my sorrows. I was handling the problem the wrong way.”
Along with his drug and alcohol use, Sanchez admitted he aligned himself with the wrong crowd.
“I let a person that I thought was a friend, a real close friend, someone that would help me with finances, I had him helping me out with stuff. Turned out I got embezzled for over $170,000,” he said.
Since then, Sanchez has relocated to Greg Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, N.M. It was a place where he felt comfortable and maintained a close relationship with Jackson, who Sanchez said would welcome him back regardless of the circumstances.
“Greg Jackson always told me that if I ever wanted to come back, the door was always open,” he said.
“That gym was my gym. He said, ‘this is your house, no matter what. This will always be your house.'”
And since reuniting with Jackson, Sanchez now feels reborn and rededicated to a career which he recalled at one point prevented him from reaching his potential as a fighter. He will now look to focus on his upcoming bout with Hughes, which could see him become a perennial contender at 170 lbs.
After a long road to recovery, Sanchez said he has put his past behind him and has matured as a fighter and a human being.
“You know what I did? I grew up,” he said.
“I stopped living that little young life that I want to do what I want to do when I want to do it, and that’s how I want to do it. Now, I’m (living) a different life, a real adult life.”
(Anderson Silva is brought to tears by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s win at UFC 134. Props: Gesias)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…
– Dana White Still Open to Signing Alistair Overeem (NBC Sports MMA)
– Ryan Jimmo predicts a TKO against Sokoudjou at MFC 31 on Oct. 7 (MMA Mania)
– Exclusive Photos From Fight Rehearsals on “Warrior” Film (TheFightNerd)
– Postcards From Rio, Part III: Fight Night Musings From Beer-Soaked Press Row (MMA Fighting)
(Anderson Silva is brought to tears by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s win at UFC 134. Props: Gesias)
Some selected highlights from our friends around the MMA blogosphere. E-mail [email protected] for details on how your site can join the MMA Link Club…
– Dana White Still Open to Signing Alistair Overeem (NBC Sports MMA)
– Ryan Jimmo predicts a TKO against Sokoudjou at MFC 31 on Oct. 7 (MMA Mania)
– Exclusive Photos From Fight Rehearsals on “Warrior” Film (TheFightNerd)
– Postcards From Rio, Part III: Fight Night Musings From Beer-Soaked Press Row (MMA Fighting)
When UFC 135 rolls into Denver, it will be the first time they held an event there in nearly 16 years!Dana White said that they always wanted to go back to Denver but they wanted to do it the right way. So what better way to do it than with the y…
When UFC 135 rolls into Denver, it will be the first time they held an event there in nearly 16 years!
Dana White said that they always wanted to go back to Denver but they wanted to do it the right way. So what better way to do it than with the youngest champion in promotional history?
Jones is one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, and Rampage is one of the most intimidating fighters out there.
Then before that, you have former welterweight champion, Matt Hughes, facing off against one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, Diego Sanchez.
There are still a few fights left to be announced for this card, and not all of them have odds yet, but all the ones I found I put in here.
The UFC confirmed the matchup on Wednesday morning.
Though not officially announced, UFC 139 is expected to take place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
Kampmann has lost two straight fights, though both were razor close and and led to controversy. In the first at UFC 121, he fought Jake Shields, out-striking him during the bout that ultimately went Shields’ way, mostly it seemed on the strength of four successful takedowns.
He returned last March against Diego Sanchez. Again, Kampmann out-struck his opponent (77-51, according to FightMetric), yet he lost another decision. The back-to-back losses dropped him to 17-5.
Story, meanwhile, is coming off a more decisive loss, one which snapped a six-fight win streak. In June, he faced Charlie Brenneman on short notice and dropped a unanimous decision. With the defeat, he fell to 13-4.
UFC 139’s main event has yet to be confirmed by the UFC, but as MMA Fighting reported earlier this month, heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is on track to return from a shoulder injury and defend his title against Junior dos Santos.
After an unsuccessful stint at lightweight, 