Diego Sanchez Unlikely to Require Surgery, Hopes to Resume Training in 6 Weeks

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While a knee injury forced Diego Sanchez off the UFC 180 bill, it probably isn’t going to keep him sidelined for an extended period of time.

Jackson-Wink general manager Ricky Kottenstette informed Sherdog.com on Friday that Sanchez suffered only a partially torn lateral collateral ligament (LCL) in his knee. There was no damage to the meniscus, and as a result, the longtime UFC veteran is expected to avoid surgery.

Sanchez hopes to resume training in approximately six weeks, according to Kottenstette. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 winner would still like to face Joe Lauzon upon his return to the Octagon, but whether that matchup comes to fruition depends on Lauzon’s health as well.

Sanchez was originally scheduled to face Norman Parke at UFC 180 before the Irish fighter withdrew from the contest. Lauzon took the fight on short notice but dropped out earlier this week. Finally, Sanchez’s injury forced the bout to be removed from the card entirely.

The 32-year-old Albuquerque, N.M., native last competed at UFC Fight Night “Henderson vs. Khabilov,” where he captured a contentious split decision victory against Ross Pearson. “The Dream” is 14-7 in the UFC since debuting in the promotion in 2005.