UFC President: Sanchez Belongs at 155
Brian Knapp May 31, 2010
If it were up to UFC President Dana White, Diego
Sanchez would reconsider his return to the welterweight
division.
Sanchez lost a unanimous decision to unbeaten upstart John Hathaway in a featured match at UFC 114 “Rampage vs. Evans” on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It was his first appearance at 170 pounds since he stopped Luigi Fioravanti on third-round strikes nearly two years ago.
“I don’t think Diego belongs at 170,” White said. “It’s easier to
be at 170. He looked soft. Diego couldn’t take him down, and
Diego’s game is wrestling.”
Hathaway nearly finished Sanchez midway through round one, when he dropped “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 winner with a thudding knee strike and swarmed him with ground-and-pound. The 22-year-old London Shootofighters standout followed with a heavy punches and elbows from the top. Sanchez survived, but the fight was essentially lost.
“Diego has an incredible chin and amazing skin,” White said. “The elbows he got hit with and never got cut, big shots he took … Diego -- and you saw it in the B.J. [Penn] fight [at UFC 107], too -- Diego’s a tough guy.”
Sanchez moved to lightweight in early 2009 and racked up wins against Joe Stevenson and Glay Guida, securing a title shot against Penn at UFC 107 in December. There, Sanchez found himself outclassed and ultimately succumbed to a wicked gash on his forehead, courtesy of a Penn head kick in the fifth round.
Though he made his opinion clear, White plans to leave Sanchez’s future to his handlers.
“I stay out of that,” he said. “That’s up to those guys. The only time I ever get involved is if [we’re dealing with] titleholders.”
Sanchez lost a unanimous decision to unbeaten upstart John Hathaway in a featured match at UFC 114 “Rampage vs. Evans” on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It was his first appearance at 170 pounds since he stopped Luigi Fioravanti on third-round strikes nearly two years ago.
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Hathaway nearly finished Sanchez midway through round one, when he dropped “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 winner with a thudding knee strike and swarmed him with ground-and-pound. The 22-year-old London Shootofighters standout followed with a heavy punches and elbows from the top. Sanchez survived, but the fight was essentially lost.
“Diego has an incredible chin and amazing skin,” White said. “The elbows he got hit with and never got cut, big shots he took … Diego -- and you saw it in the B.J. [Penn] fight [at UFC 107], too -- Diego’s a tough guy.”
Sanchez moved to lightweight in early 2009 and racked up wins against Joe Stevenson and Glay Guida, securing a title shot against Penn at UFC 107 in December. There, Sanchez found himself outclassed and ultimately succumbed to a wicked gash on his forehead, courtesy of a Penn head kick in the fifth round.
Though he made his opinion clear, White plans to leave Sanchez’s future to his handlers.
“I stay out of that,” he said. “That’s up to those guys. The only time I ever get involved is if [we’re dealing with] titleholders.”
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