Feb-17-2009
The “Old” Diego Sanchez is Back
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UFC 104/105
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By Thomas Gerbasi
Maybe it’s the 15 pounds he’s dropping from 170 to 155, but Diego Sanchez certainly seems to have gotten his swagger back as he prepares for his lightweight debut on Saturday against Joe Stevenson in the main event of UFC 95 at the O2 in London.
It was something he seemed to have lost somewhere around the time of his back to back losses to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch in 2007, and though you would never hear that out of his mouth, Sanchez wasn’t the same brash kid who was seemingly destined for big things as he came off season one of The Ultimate Fighter, even though he looked good in subsequent wins over David Bielkheden and Luigi Fioravanti last year.
But when faced with some time on his hands after he was injured and forced to pull out of a UFC 90 bout against Thiago Alves, Sanchez made a hard choice that may ultimately prove to be the one that reinvigorates his career.
“Fighting at 170 has always been good for me, but I walk around at a little chubby 180, and by the time I’m in great shape and ripped, I’m 172, 173, and not really cutting weight,” explained Sanchez. “So where this sport is going, everybody’s cutting weight. When I fought Jon Fitch, he had at least 20 pounds on me, and there was a very big size advantage. So after getting injured before the Thiago Alves fight, I just had to make a decision. I thought about all the options at 170, and what would be the best choice for me, and then I thought that if I dropped to ’55, I’m going to be bigger, stronger, able to focus more on technique and not on how to get bigger. Strength training was a big part of my training at 170, trying to get bigger. Now at 155, I get to work more on maintaining strength, which is a totally different task. I made the decision, and if there’s ever a time for me to do it, it’s gonna be now, while I’m still in my 20’s. When I get into my 30’s it’s gonna be a lot harder.”
Fighting on a level playing field come fight night is certainly a big deal for a small welterweight like Sanchez. And while he’ll now be fighting opponents near or at his own weight at lightweight, perhaps the more intriguing part of this whole move southward is that the 27-year old now has a whole new list of dance partners at 155 pounds that can provide the fans with exciting matchups every time out. But Sanchez is shooting right for the top.
“I can go after the 155-pound belt,” he said. “I always thought it would be a great fight with BJ Penn and me – we’re two warriors who love to fight and I always felt like I’ve had a big advantage in speed and endurance when it comes to fighting BJ, and I can get him tired. In his last showing with GSP (welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre), it showed what kind of shape he comes in, and I’ve never watched a fight where he’s not tired. Even when he fought Joe Stevenson, he was exhausted after the fight and couldn’t even stand up. I’m the type of fighter, I’ve never gotten tired in a UFC fight, never. I’ve only gotten stronger in my three round fights and I’ve always wanted to fight a five round fight because I get stronger as the fight goes on.”
Sanchez isn’t done yet though.
“I’m just looking for the best fights for me and right now, Kenny Florian is considered the number one contender and I feel that me holding a decisive win over him, even though it was a long time ago, that’s not an excuse,” said Sanchez, who defeated Florian at middleweight in the TUF1 finale in 2005. “For people to say ‘oh, it was a long time ago, he’s improved,’ everybody’s improved, everybody’s evolved, and if anything, I feel that I’ve evolved more than he has. I hold a victory over him and that victory was decisive. It wasn’t even a fight; I just beat him up. Because of that, a decisive win over Joe Stevenson puts me in position to argue for a title shot.”
Now that’s “The Nightmare” we remember, the guy who roared up the ranks beating the likes of Nick Diaz, Karo Parisyan, and Joe Riggs in memorable fights. If that’s the fighter coming to 155 pounds, that’s an exciting prospect for fight fans. Of course, we’ll find out soon enough when the bell rings on Saturday and Sanchez steps in the Octagon to face an old buddy from the King of The Cage days in Stevenson.
“Joe’s always been a pretty good friend of mine,” said Sanchez. “I’m cool with him, we’ve always gotten along and I’ve always had a lot of respect for him, even in the King of The Cage days. He fought at 170 and then dropped to 155 and won the (KOTC) belt at 155 and we were both around each other at the same time. When he won The Ultimate Fighter two, I had already dropped down to 170 and people were talking about matching us up together, so it’s a fight that’s always been on my mind. We’re both grapplers, so I think it comes down to who’s evolved more in the striking, and I’m willing to show everybody on Saturday who’s evolved more because I’m going in there to knock him out.”
Easier said than done, especially considering that Stevenson hasn’t been knocked out in almost a decade (by Jens Pulver in June of 1999), and that “Joe Daddy” has his back against the proverbial wall after losses in two of his last three bouts. But Sanchez is planning on putting doubt in Stevenson’s head immediately before securing a victory.
“It depends on what mind-state he’s in. He’s coming off two losses where he’s been stopped, so it’s a question of if he’s more hungry, or if he’s mentally plagued by those losses and has confidence issues now,” said Sanchez. “It all depends on how a fighter comes back. Getting beat the way he did against BJ and then getting totally dominated by Kenny Florian, that has to mess with your confidence. I think it’s just a great fight for me, and a good matchup. I think I’ve prepared harder than him. All fights come down to your training, and I feel that I’ve outworked him. Spiritually, mentally, physically, I’m at another level and I feel like I am the champion at 155 right now.”
Oh yeah, Diego Sanchez is back.
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