Straying from the attitude causing a rift between Jon Jones-Rashad Evans, as well as the one seeing Evans refuse to face Keith Jardine a few years back, Sanchez spoke to The MMA Hour earlier this week where he said he’s already discussed such a scenario with “The Natural Born Killer”.

“We’ve all talked about this, the coaches, me and Carlos, we are absolutely fine fighting each other,” said the original Ultimate Fighter. “We both want UFC gold, that’s what we want for our family and have always wanted even as little kids, we have always wanted this. We are willing to do that.”

He also made it clear he wouldn’t pull any punches against Condit and would expect the same treatment in return, stating, “Me and Carlos would be a war; we both know our strengths and weaknesses and it would be a great fight. If it happens, it happens.”

Up next for “The Dream” is a February 15 date with top contender Jake Ellenberger in headlining action at UFC on Fuel 1. Comparably, Condit has been embroiled in the fallout from his hard-fought, albeit awfully close decision win over Nick Diaz this past Saturday night.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Ellenberger is coming off the biggest win of his career, as he stopped Jake Shields to improve to 5-1 in the UFC. “The Juggernaut” landed a heavy knee on Shields, a former contender for the UFC welterweight title and an ex-Strikeforce champion, and followed that up with a series of punches that ended the fight.

Sanchez was set to meet Matt Hughes earlier this year, but suffered a hand injury in training and was forced to pull out of the fight. The former Ultimate Fighter winner is 23-4 in his career and is working his way back into title-talk at 170 pounds after competing as a lightweight for much of his career.

Reports of the fight being a go were made by HeavyMMA, as nothing has been confirmed by the UFC. UFC on FOX 2 is expected to take place on January 28 in Chicago. Other potential landing spots for the bout expected in the period directly after that include a trio of events in February and a recently rumored show in Australia on March 4.

UPDATE: The UFC has announced Ellenberger and Sanchez will headlined the first UFC on Fuel card set for February 15 in Omaha, Nebraska.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The 29-year old finally spoke on the matter Monday night where he made it clear his broken hand is not the only thing hurting at the moment.

“I am heartbroken that I have to inform MMA fans that I cannot fight Hughes at UFC 135 later this month,” Sanchez began. “I have never physically felt more prepared to compete than I felt for this fight, which makes this even more painful for me.”

Sanchez’s brief statement ended with a message of hope for his supporters, saying, “While I do not know right now when I will return, I want to assure all of the fans out there that I will be back in the Octagon as soon as I am 100 percent healthy.”

The Jackson’s MMA product out of New Mexico has experienced both highs and lows throughout his career but rarely if ever fails to entertain inside the ring. Sanchez is 23-4 with five “Fight of the Night” awards and wins over a number of notable peers including Martin Kampmann, Paulo Thiago, Ken Florian, and Clay Guida.

UFC 135 is scheduled for September 24 in Denver with a headlining tilt between 205-pound champion Jon Jones and former title-holder Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Though nothing official has been revealed, it appears Hughes will face Koscheck instead of Sanchez as long as he agrees to “Kos” as an alternate with the 15-5 grappler already saying he’d accepted the fight on his end.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Sanchez was riding the momentum of back-to-back victories heading into his September 24 showdown with former UFC welterweight champion, picking up decision victories and “Fight of the Night” honors against Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann. After a short stint at lightweight, where he challenged for the UFC belt, but lost to then champion B.J. Penn, Sanchez returned to 170 at UFC 115, losing a decision to John Hathaway. “The Dream” is 12-4 in his UFC career and holds notable victories over Clay Guida, Nick Diaz, and Kenny Florian. No word on how long the broken hand will keep him out of action.

UPDATE: It appears the UFC may already have a replacement lined up. According to Josh Koscheck via Twitter he has accepted the fight on his end meaning he will serve as a substitute for Sanchez as long as Hughes also signs off on the bout.

UFC Hall of Famer Hughes is looking to rebound from a 21 seconds KO loss to Penn at UFC 123 last November. Prior to the loss, Hughes had won his last three fights over jiu-jitsu aces Matt Serra, Renzo Gracie, and Ricardo Almeida.

UFC 135 is scheduled for September 24 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The event will be headlined by a UFC light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones taking on challenger Quinton Jackson.

*PHOTO CREDIT – UFC*

News of the future match-up first surfaced on the UFC’s website earlier today where it was also explained the organization was targeting Fall for the fracas. However, no specific date or event was mentioned though logical landing spots for the bout include UFC Live 5, UFN 25, or UFC 135 given the timeframe and shows’ wide-open cards.

“The Dream” is coming off a razor thin decision against Martin Kampmann in their instant-classic at UFC Live 3 where he maintained aggression and focus for three rounds while enduring a number of cuts and significant swelling to his face courtesy of Kampmann’s precise striking. The performance marked Sanchez’s second straight victory since being outpointed in his return to welterweight by John Hathaway after a three-fight run at 155-pounds.

Meanwhile, Hughes will be looking to get back on the winning track after suffering an opening round knockout to B.J. Penn at UFC 123 last November. Prior to the defeat he had won three in a row including success against Ricardo Almeida and Matt Serra. The former UFC welterweight champ holds an overall record of 45-8 with thirty-five of the wins coming as the result of a finish.

While most of the involved names are likely unknown to the masses there will be at least one participant whose face is fairly famous both in standard and swollen form – Diego Sanchez. However, interestingly enough, Sanchez has never actually tapped an opponent out in the Octagon with Jiu-Jitsu despite having a number of submission wins to his credit prior to joining the UFC.

“The UFC Fan Expo will feature some great matches between some of the best grapplers in the world,” explained Dana White. “I’m really excited to see Sanchez compete and try to win the tournament. He’s always really tough on the ground and he has a ton of heart.”

The original Ultimate Fighter winner will face respected Canadian grappler Andrew McInnes on one side of the tournament bracket with Ryan Hall taking on BJJ blackbelt Jorge Britto. Hall defeated former UFC fighter Hermes Franca in a similar contest last August at the UFC 118 Fan Expo while Britto has trained with some of the top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artists in the sport’s history including Helio Gracie and Royler Gracie.

The first round of the affair will take place on Friday (4/29) with the final occurring on Saturday afternoon before fans head to the arena and join the 55,000+ expected at the show being headlined by Georges St. Pierre’s title defense against Jake Shields.

Saturday will also feature the head of Montreal’s branch of Brazilian Top Team, Fabio Holanda, against multi-time Grappler’s Quest champion Nolan Dutch in a test of technique to cap off the exhibition.

Fans interested in being part of the group at the Direct Energy Centre can check the UFC’s website for information on tickets.

It now appears that wish for additional action from the two talented welterweights has been answered…sort of.

Kampmann, who has lobbied for an immediate re-pairing with Sanchez based on the result, recently drew the attention of “The Dream” via Twitter who responded with not only a hint of mild surprise but also a clear message for the Dane – win a fight first and then maybe they can talk.

“You really want a direct rematch? I trained no boxing! Zero! I just wrestled my ass off,” Sanchez began. “I underestimated your takedown defense and had to resort to my street-fighting loco skills and almost dropped you; I seen your legs. I was not in my best shape.”

Further arguing his case against taking on “The Hitman” a second straight time, Sanchez brought up the fact he hadn’t even asked to fight Jon Fitch after losing a Split Decision while continuing, “Plus you just lost two in a row. You need to get a W (and) then we can talk rematch. Your punches had snap to cut but no power.”

“Almost dropped me??? Nah, as far as I remember you where the only one that got dropped. Wise up,” Kampmann quickly responded.

Likewise, the original Ultimate Fighter winner also denied being damaged beyond superficial wounds in the fight, replying, “Watch it again. I got hit off balance while jumping in for a hook! (It) in no way dazed me not at all. If I can’t get a better fight (where) a win would move me up the ladder, I would love to fight you again!”

In closing Kampmann kept it simple, saying, “Let’s make it happen then,” before boarding a plane to head to Canada.

Sanchez also showed some respect to his newfound rival before moving on, acknowledging, “If we fight again it will be an even better fight. If it happens it happens you’re always a fun fight.”

Kampmann is 17-5 in his career and had lost a Split Decision to top contender Jake Shields last October. Prior to the defeat he had won two in a row with past victories over Paulo Thiago and Carlos Condit to his credit.

Comparably, Sanchez holds an overall record of 23-4 and has put together back-to-back victories including Kampmann and Thiago. He has also found success in the Octagon against respected foes including Ken Florian, Clay Guida, and Strikeforce welterweight title-holder Nick Diaz.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Former WEC bantamweight champ Brian Bowles earned “Submission of the Night” and $40,000 after putting Damacio Page to sleep using a Guillotine Choke with ninety seconds remaining in the opening round of their UFC Live 3 showdown. Interestingly enough, not only did the 30-year old defeat Page using the same technique at WEC 35 but both finishes came at the exact same mark. The win was the first in a year for Bowles after losing his title to Dominick Cruz at WEC 47 and subsequently being sidelined with injury as a result.

Fellow WEC alumnus Shane Roller also pocketed $40,000 for “Knockout of the Night”. Roller withstood an impressive assault from opponent Thiago Tavares in the first round of their fight but came back sharply in the second stanza with a straight right resulting in the end of the Brazilian’s night. The victory brought Roller’s win column to double digits as his overall record now stands at 10-3.

Finally, though the headlining tilt between Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez may have resulted in a debatable decision one thing impossible to argue is the level of entertainment both welterweights provided in the evening’s final fight. The two talented 170-pounders battled for three hotly-contested rounds seeing Sanchez bruised and bloodied with Kampmann also leaking crimson and nursing a possible broken hand. Their mutual performances in Sanchez’s razor-thin win netted each man $60,000 for participation in “Fight of the Night”.

UPDATE:: Yahoo Sports is reporting Dana White decided to throw an extra $100,000 on top of the $60,000 award as a means of honoring the gutsy performance both turned in.

Sanchez spoke about his journey back to Albuquerque earlier today in a conference call with media where he discussed his newfound love of training, the reason he’s shedding his long-time nickname, and how far down he’d actually sunk after losing in such a clear-cut fashion to B.J. Penn at UFC 107.

“I went through a really rough situation in San Diego that brought me into a lot of emotional depression and that weighed hard on me, and the Penn fight was really hard for me the way I lost – getting cut up, getting hands put on me the way I did,” Sanchez explained of his motivation in moving back to New Mexico. “That never happened to me in my career. So, I had to deal with that and when I came home I moved out of the city and I moved into the mountains and that was the best thing I ever did.”

“I hit rock bottom after the Penn fight, I really did. I blew through all my money. I made bad decisions. Scam artists scammed me real bad. I was in debt over $175,000. I had to come back home. I needed my family’s love. I was humbled 100% back down to zero. I have no ego.”

In reference to his loss to John Hathaway, Sanchez replied he was still in a funk even drinking beer after training and didn’t take the Brit seriously at all. Crediting the isolation with restoring his focus on the sport rather than its trappings, Sanchez also made it clear he’s done cutting down to compete as a lightweight.

“The options are closed for me to ever go down to 155 again,” the 22-4 fighter began on the topic. “I brought in an Olympic wrestler and he’s a big 185 pounder and about an inch taller than me. He’s real big on lifting weights and so we go and we lift weights every day after practice. And we hit it hard…I’m doing power lifts, I’m doing squats, I’m doing kettle lifts…and that’s on top our (regular) training.

“It’s really motivated me to be strong,” Sanchez continued. “In my last fight I was really prepared, I worked hard, but I wasn’t physically strong and that’s something you’ve got to have being a welterweight. That’s something I’ve really worked on and I think fans are going to be surprised when they see the way I look, the way I feel…and the way I’m able to (assert) my will with my physical strength.”

Due to his newfound approach to life and interest in putting the past behind him Sanchez also explained his decision to drop “Nightmare” as his nickname, saying in retrospect he was his own “nightmare”.

“I don’t want to represent that. I want to represent positivity and good…the nightmare was myself. All of the times I fell off track and got into drinking and into smoking weed…the things that brought me down, the partying. That was my nightmare, I was my own nightmare, so you know I said, ‘I’m growing up. I’m gonna let that name go and I just want to be Diego Sanchez. I’m me and that’s it.”

On top of the popular Ultimate Fighter winner’s clash with well-rounded XTreme Couture competitor Kampmann, fans can also catch decorated amateur wrestlers C.B. Dollaway and Mark Munoz mix it up in main card action at “UFC on Versus: Sanchez vs. Kampmann”. The show will go live on Versus at 8:00 PM EST.

News of the bout was reported by MMAJunkie who confirmed the potential pairing with a source close to the involved individuals.

The match-up should prove an interesting one if it does indeed come together. Neither Kampmann or Sanchez have been submitted in the ring while both also possess a respectable balance between tap-out/TKO victories on their respective records.

Sanchez is 22-4 overall with notable wins in the past over Paulo Thiago, Ken Florian, Nick Diaz, Clay Guida, and Joe Stevenson. He is 1-1 since returning to welterweight after a run at the UFC 155-pound championship, a title-bout loss against B.J. Penn also marking the only time “Nightmare” has been finished in his career.

His XTreme Couture-trained opponent will be looking to right the proverbial ship against Sanchez, as “The Hitman” is coming off a split decision loss to former Strikeforce middleweight champ Jake Shields at UFC 121. Prior to the outpointing, Kampmann had gone 13-2 over his previous fifteen fights including wins over Thiago, Thales Leites, Jorge Rivera, and Carlos Condit.

It now appears Diego Sanchez wants to join that select group.

Sanchez, who made his name in the UFC as a welterweight before going 2-1 during a three-fight stint at 155-pounds in 2009 which saw him fall to then-champion BJ Penn in a title bout, recently expressed his interest in dropping down again in the near future while talking on a video blog for Greg Jackson’s group in New Mexico. Specifically, the Ultimate Fighter Season 1 champ mentioned wanting to face Sean Sherk.

Unfortunately, Sherk looks to be out of the picture based on undisclosed injuries, though “Nightmare” expressed his happiness with any opponent at either of his competitive weights as long as it was a “tough, good fight”.

Sanchez is 22-4 and most recently beat Paulo Thiago a few weeks ago at UFC 121. In addition to that victory, he holds notable wins in his career over Karo Parisyan, Ken Florian, Joe Stevenson, Clay Guida, and Nick Diaz.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z42BrLbB-ng&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

Happy Halloween Weekend, and welcome to “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column.

How would you assess the fallout from Eddie Alvarez’s dominating win over Roger Huerta last week at Bellator 33?

Tool: If anything Alvarez’s thorough beat down on Huerta just proved how desperate for real competition Alvarez is right now. Whether that competition comes in the form a showdown with Gilbert Melendez or a potential entrance into the UFC, the fact is that Bellator’s roster has little to offer Alvarez in the way of fresh challenges. Huerta’s stock has dropped in recent years but we can’t forget that he was right on the cusp of contendership in the UFC at one point. The fight between these two was great from the standpoint of Bellator building up their lightweight champion, but now that their two biggest lightweight stars have fought what’s left? Is there any reason to think that Pat Curran will fare any better when he gets his shot at Alvarez?

Conlan: I see Tool’s point about the scarceness of challenges left for the lightweight champ within Bellator, though in fairness it needs to be pointed out that Curran did beat Huerta and should be a more competitive foe for Alvarez from that standpoint alone. Someone with Curran’s improving skill-set should never be discounted, especially in a sport like MMA where upsets are far from rare.

Since Adam’s response focused mostly on Alvarez I’m going to concentrate on Huerta’s future in the wake of suffering the first TKO loss of his career. I think the bout’s timing may have influenced the result to a certain extent, as I suspect Huerta’s confidence wasn’t where it would have been had he been coming off a few wins before facing Alvarez rather than losses in three of his last four fights. On top of that, he dealt with the publicity surrounding his “street fight” earlier this year which could have affected his training or mentality entering arguably the biggest scrap of his career. Preparing for an opponent like Alvarez – even a notch below the Philadelphian – requires 100% of a Mixed Martial Artist’s focus and being unable to give in wholly to the process essentially equates to a loss no matter who you may be.

To that point, Huerta’s physique also looked a bit smaller than usual at the event. I won’t speculate on whether it was an attempt to increase his speed or the result of less time in the gym, but it got me thinking how interesting it would be to see the “El Matador” give featherweight a shot. Assuming his body can handle the cut without it negatively affecting his performance in the ring, dropping down a division would be a good way to hit “refresh” on his career, as well as a move creating new match-ups for Huerta and possibly providing a few size-related competitive advantages he hasn’t necessarily had thus far in his career at 155-pounds.

Did Diego Sanchez’s showing against Paulo Thiago restore your faith in him as a welterweight or would you prefer to see him drop back down to 155-pounds?

Tool: His performance on Saturday restored my faith in Diego Sanchez period. I haven’t seen the Diego of old since the Clay Guida fight so it was pretty nice to see that old aggression back in action from the former “Nightmare.” He didn’t look nearly as doughy on Saturday as he did against John Hathaway, so perhaps he would be better off sticking around at 170 lbs.

Regardless of the division he competes in there are still plenty of compelling match-ups for Sanchez. If he stays at welterweight I think a bout with Martin Kampmann could easily steal whatever show it’s on. If he goes back down to lightweight I think the bout that would make the most sense is a rematch with Kenny Florian, as both fighters are completely different from the two guys that competed for the first “Ultimate Fighter” championship.

Conlan: Somewhere in between I suppose. I can’t say with conviction his showing against Thiago made me feel Sanchez can beat the UFC’s top welterweights, but the thought of him fighting Kampmann, Dan Hardy, or Nate Diaz has my salivary glands firing up so I’m also not sure I want to see him head back to 155-pounds just yet.

Thiago has stated in the past he’s unable to train full-time due to his job in Brazilian law enforcement and aside from knocking out Josh Koscheck hasn’t been overwhelmingly impressive. He’s lost three of his last five fights and, aside from a respectable submission of Mike Swick, has gone the distance in four of them. It was a highly entertaining fight, and Sanchez’s win was a nice notch the ol’ the ring-post, but didn’t restore the confidence I had in him 3-4 years ago during the height of his run at 170-pounds (as a finishing performance might have).

Similarly to the division he’s currently residing in, I think there are still a few match-ups ripe with potential for entertainment at lightweight including Florian, George Sotiropoulos, and the new crop of WEC 155-pounders heading to the Octagon in the near future (Ben Henderson, Jamie Varner, Donald Cerrone, etc.). I feel Sanchez gave up on the weight-class after enduring the strain on his body only to be pummeled for the first time in his career courtesy of BJ Penn. Leaving it behind on such a sour note after looking sharp against Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson almost feels like quitting to me and I think it would be a shame of “Nightmare” never gives it a go again.

If given the choice, who would you most like to see Fedor Emelianenko fight out of the
following group – Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, or Randy Couture?

Tool: I’ve got to go with Velasquez, especially now that he’s got the strongest claim of anyone to be the top heavyweight in the world. Even if you don’t agree with that sentiment you can’t deny that Velasquez is now firmly positioned as the best heavyweight in the UFC, and that’s a spot I expect him to keep for the foreseeable future. Emelianenko doesn’t have the aura of invincibility around him anymore so the fight may not be as appealing as it was four months ago, but at this point we still have to believe that Fedor is one of the top fighters in the world and as such he would be a stiff challenge for anybody in the heavyweight division.

Conlan: I’m going to take my “writer/associate editor” cap off for a second and pick Couture as simply a fan of MMA. Though Velasquez and Lesnar are more-relevant opponents for Emelianenko where rankings are concerned, “The Natural” is a legend in the sport – perhaps its biggest star from a mainstream perspective – whose remaining fights are numbered due to age/opportunity. On the flipside, Lesnar and Velasquez should both be active for the foreseeable future and as such have more time ahead of them than Couture to see a bout against Emelianenko eventually materialize.

Lesnar/Velasquez are merely “top five” heavyweights, while pairing Couture and Fedor creates a legitimate “dream fight” people have been wanting to see for as long as the sport has existed in its current form. As silly as it may sound to bypass on having the highest ranked fighters face each other, MMA is as much about entertainment/storylines as it is two individuals throwing down in a ring, and in that regard it would be foolish to pass on the possibility of finally bringing Couture vs. Emelianenko to fruition.

Based on his showing this past weekend, do you think Jake Shields should have to win at least one more fight in the UFC before he earns a title shot?

Conlan: If Shields’ contendership was based solely on how he looked against Martin Kampmann then I would support the notion of him having to notch another victory in the Octagon before getting a title-shot. However, his status also stems from having won fourteen consecutive fights prior to UFC 121 including in-ring success against a number of top competitors, and in that regard I have no problem saying he deserves to be “next in line” for a crack at the belt.

As far as the Californian’s lackluster performance in Anaheim, fans should keep in mind Kampmann is an excellent grappler who has yet to be submitted in a 21-bout career and wasn’t on any level a good stylistic match-up for the Californian. Additionally, Shields hadn’t fought at 170-pounds for a significant period of time before entering the ring against “The Hitman” last weekend and even admitted he seriously struggled with the weight-cut after competing at 185 for the past two years. Both factors definitely played into Shields’ forgettable debut and need to be taken into account when questioning whether or not he deserves to face the winner of Georges St. Pierre’s upcoming title-defense against Koscheck.

Tool: I’ve been pretty high on Shields for awhile now, but even I have to admit that he hasn’t sold me on a potential bout with GSP just yet. Brendhan is spot on with his assessment of Shields’ worthiness as a result of his record, and I echoed his points when we had a similar discussion last week. Of course, that was before his fight with Kampmann. Let’s face it: Shields did not impress the UFC faithful on Saturday night. The hardcore fan base can certainly make the case for Shields being one of the best welterweights in the world, but any fan seeing him for the first time at UFC 121 would most likely laugh at the idea of a match-up with St. Pierre. Personally I feel a second trip inside the octagon against a highly-regarded opponent would give Shields another chance to make a first impression, and that could be very beneficial to the UFC and their bottom line.

Brendan Schaub has already called out Frank Mir for his next fight. If you were UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva, would you book that bout?

Conlan: I’d definitely put the two together if I was Silva for a few reasons, and, other than the possibility of Mir serving as a replacement for the injured Shane Carwin at UFC 125 against Roy Nelson, I can’t think of any reason why the match-up shouldn’t be made.

When comparing the two heavyweights there’s a nice contrast to their in-ring approaches which is often favorable when it comes to the production of an entertaining fight. Schaub has heavy-hands and likes to bang, while Mir is known for his grappling but also isn’t afraid to put his recently-improved striking on display either. It would be interesting to see whether Mir would focus 100% on assessing the depth of Schaub’s ground-game or opt to test his stand-up instead.

Also, I think the pairing also makes sense from an “internal rankings” standpoint. Schaub has won his last three outings and dismantled former title-contender Gabriel Gonzaga in the biggest fight of his young career. On the flipside, Mir is 2-2 in his last four and needs to build off his victory over Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at UFC 119 (if for no other reason to help dull fans’ memory of the fourteen forgettable minutes prior to the knockout-knee). They are each in a place career-wise where a win over the other would provide a significant rub where contendership is concerned while a potential loss wouldn’t be overly damaging.

Tool: I agree that this booking makes sense, but of course this question was posed before the news came out that Shane Carwin was out of his UFC 125 fight with Nelson. Now I’m firmly of the belief that Mir makes the most possible sense as a replacement opponent for “Big Country.” It’s a great stylistic match-up between two guys who made their name with their jiu-jitsu skills, but have since evolved into heavy-handed strikers. That fight also has far greater title implications that a potential Mir/Schaub showdown, especially given the fact that both Mir and Nelson recently came up short in #1 contender bouts.

Now that he’s extended his win streak to five, how far away is Matt Hamill from competing for UFC gold?

Conlan: Hamill’s win-streak is akin to one of those computer-produced paintings a person has to thoroughly examine in order to see the actual image contained within. During the run he’s knocked off Reese Andy (who hasn’t fought since), Mark Munoz (now a middleweight), Jon Jones (by disqualification after getting absolutely decimated in the previous four minutes), Keith Jardine (lost six of his last seven fights), and most-recently Tito Ortiz at UFC 121 (who hasn’t won or been anywhere near active in three years). Looking beyond the Jones DQ and at the actual individuals he legitimately beat, Hamill has certainly been impressive but doesn’t have victories over opponents who anyone could argue are in peak position divisionally or skills-wise.

All that being said, I think Hamill will need to win at least three more times before working his way into the title picture. Dana White has already stated “The Hammer” will be paired up against a “Top 10” adversary in his next bout so that’s a good start. The UFC’s 205-pound pool is extremely deep and Hamill cannot cement himself as leader of the pack without first taking out a few of his highly-ranked peers.

Tool: It’s true that Hamill’s win-streak does have at least one heavy asterisk attached to it, but other than the Jones fight he’s pretty much dominated anyone he’s faced in the last few years. He’s still improving every time we see him, and at this rate he could very well be the next great wrestler/striker hybrid. He’s going to need at least a few wins against the upper level guys in the division before he’s going to be considered for contendership, but it’s certainly in the UFC’s best interests to try and get him into that position.

I would never advocate the usage of Hamill’s disability to try and gain more exposure for his accomplishments, but at the same time we cannot deny that his condition is part of who he is. He’s overcome some tremendous obstacles to get where he is, and that sort of thing can really capture public interest. Last night was the premiere of Hamill, a feature film based on his life, and if the movie has any success at all with critics then it’s only bound to bring more attention to this particular member of the UFC’s roster.

“Warrior!!!!!” – was all Dana had to say when tweeting the recent picture of Sanchez sporting the full on Pumpkinhead look.

Diego may have been outclassed in his recent defeat suffered at the hands of Penn this past Saturday evening, but there’s no arguing with the fact that the man is, as White put it, an absolute “Warrior”…

Joe Rogan

The fight was in danger of ending in the opening moments as Penn blasted Sanchez with a hard right hand as the challenger rushed in, dropping Diego and flurrying with a cyclone of punches before Sanchez regained his senses just as the bout looked as if it was going to be called off.

Sanchez battled back as best he could for five hard rounds, but it was Penn’s ability to stuff all of Diego’s takedown attempts combined with a far superior stand up game that made it apparent that the two were simply in a different league.

Going into the fifth round Sanchez had a severe cut on his bottom lip, but it was a series of strikes in the final round that opened up a gash from hell on Diego’s forehead, prompting a halt to the one sided contest, and a speedy trip to the emergency room for a visit that is sure to include many staples and stitches for the battered and bruised challenger.

An amazingly dominant performance over a gutsy contender for the champion that has left many wondering if B.J. will remain at the top of the lightweight mountain for as long as he sees fit.

Diego Sanchez

According to Diego, he’s already the champion; This fight is just a formality for the San Diego based fighter.

“From the moment I stepped down to 155, I knew in my heart that I was the best 155 pounder in the world,” said Sanchez during the recent Spike TV broadcast.

“I’m here to claim what’s mine. It’s my time now.”

However, in true Diego Sanchez fashion the subject of who the best in the division truly is was left up in the air after the former Ultimate Fighter seemed to contradict himself with another statement when he said, “I know he’s the best in the world at 155, and if you truly ask B.J. Penn who the best in the world at 155 is besides himself, he’s going to say Diego Sanchez.”

So who’s the best at 155 pounds? We’ll find out on Saturday night, no doubt about that. But don’t let who Diego considers to be the best lightweight in the game confuse you; According to Sanchez, he’s got B.J. all figured out.

“What’s B.J.’s biggest weakness? It’s his conditioning,” said Sanchez. “Now you know you’re fighting a guy with a never ending gas tank.

“I’m going to come forward, I’m going to cut the ring off, and I’m going to scrap. So I have a challenge for you B.J.; Don’t run. Let’s get it.”

Will Diego come out to the Octagon while doing the “Yes! Cartwheel” in his UFC 107 clash with B.J. Penn for all of the marbles at 155 pounds on Saturday evening? Will he employ the tactic in the heat of battle for one of the most spectacular knockouts in the history of the game? Stay tuned as Penn vs. Sanchez promises to be one of the most entertaining UFC showdowns in recent memory.

According to a recent report on the Fighters Only Magazine official website, Sanchez has recently been offered the match-up, although nothing has been agreed to at this time.

UFC 105 will take place in Manchester, England on November 14. Also rumored for the card is a middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Denis Kang.

Penn is coming off of a dominating fourth round submission victory over Kenny Florian at UFC 101 while Sanchez most recently edged out Clay Guida by split decision in a hard fought “FOTN” performance at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale.

That isn’t accurate. I watched the fight. Clay Guida lost. Diego Sanchez landed more power shots, totally dominated the first round and won the fight.

My point is let’s not sit here and pretend that Diego Sanchez didn’t win that fight because it takes away from his impressive performance in a tremendous fight. Sanchez should be applauded for winning a war but instead the articles I’m reading are giving Guida more props for fighting hard and losing.

And I’m certainly taking nothing away from Guida. Not many fighters could weather that first round storm, come back the way he did and almost steal the decision away from Sanchez. That was an impressive display of heart.

Guida proved he has a chin of granite and the desire I wish some of the more talented fighters in the UFC fought with every time they stepped into the Octagon. He’s a true asset to the organization.

Having said that, am I the only one who is tiring a little of his “The kid trying hard in gym class” act? The way he was bouncing up and down after the fight kind of bothered me. Don’t try and hide the fact that you are tired. Sanchez kicked your butt all over that cage.

The second the cameras were off I guarantee Guida stopped jumping up and down like the “Energizer Bunny” reputation he’s built up for himself and dropped to the floor, so spare us all the drama.

Getting back to all these ridiculous columns I have been reading, though. They are so predictable. Every time I watch a great football game the same type of stories surface about how there were no losers out on the field.

The reason I hate these so much because I believe it takes away something from the winner. One team found a way to gut out a win in a great game. Don’t they deserve some credit for that?

The tougher the opponent, shouldn’t the victor receive even more praise for finding a way to get by their opponent on that day? I think so. To say that there is no loser is also saying there is no winner and that is diminishing a great accomplishment in my book.

On Saturday night, Diego Sanchez was at his very best. He came out strong but he met an opponent in Clay Guida who was up to the challenge and refused to go away. Guida probably could have been knocked out in the first round but his heart and determination made him fight on.

Guida deserves a lot of credit for that but Sanchez deserves even more because he was the one who proved to be the better man in a great fight. At the end of the night it was Sanchez who got his hand raised.

Besides, for all the talk of how tough Guida is, didn’t Sanchez prove he’s even tougher? He won. Read the recent Yahoo! story on the fight. A majority of it talks about how tough a fighter Guida is but you know what? Sanchez showed that he’s a pretty tough fighter in his own right, so give the guy who actually won the fight his due.

Despite what you may read at other sites, there was a winner on Saturday night. His name is Diego Sanchez and he deserves more respect for winning than the guy who fought hard and lost.

It’s a shame that more people don’t see it that way because after his performance last night Sanchez deserves all the headlines, not Guida.

News of the bout was first reported by Loretta Hunt of Sherdog.com.

Sanchez improved to 20-2 following last month’s unanimous decision victory over Joe Stevenson at UFC 95 in London, England. The win marked Sanchez’s debut at lightweight after having competed at middleweight and welterweight.

The middleweight winner of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Sanchez is 9-2 in an 11-bout UFC career that includes notable victories over Joe Riggs, Nick Diaz, and Karo Parisyan.

Guida, 25-9, last competed in January at UFC 94. Facing Nate Diaz, Guida handed the TUF 5 veteran his first-ever loss inside of the Octagon after recording a split decision victory.

A veteran of both Strikeforce and King of the Cage, Guida’s lifetime record in the UFC is 5-3 and includes notable victories over Mac Danzig, Marcus Aurelio, and Samy Schiavo.

In addition to Sanchez vs. Guida, a welterweight matchup between Anthony Johnson and John Howard is also reportedly set for the TUF 9 finale. The Spike TV telecast will also include the finals for the welterweight and lightweight divisions that will be featured on this season’s show, which will premiere on April 1 at 10 p.m. ET.

Sanchez, the original winner of The Ultimate Fighter at middleweight, was taking a big risk dropping down to lightweight. Naturally walking around at 190 pounds, many thought the drop to 155 for weight-ins, and the jump back up to 170 for the actual fight, would throw his body for a loop. And unless you’ve experienced that loop first hand, its hard to say how your body will despond. A loss of speed, a lack of energy, and poor cardio were all issues many thought would hamper Sanchez in his first go round.

Add in the fact that he would be facing Stevenson, one of the UFC’s top lightweights, early projections were not in Sanchez’s favor.

From the opening minutes though Sanchez seemed to dispel his critics. He seemed quicker than at welterweight, his power seemed to transfer over along with his natural skill set.

Sanchez was able to pick apart Stevenson at ease, and everything became even easier when it was apparent Stevenson had no intentions of taking the fight to the ground. In what became a kickboxing match Sanchez utilized the jab from his waist to control the tempo of the one dimensional fight.

Now no longer just a ground and pound fighter with an inability to stop fights, Sanchez seems to be a complete fighter in every asset of his game.

It was thought before this fight with Stevenson that Sanchez was dropping to lightweight to avoid the top talent at welterweight. After losses to Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, Sanchez just didn’t seem like the same fighter anymore. Now the move seems like a calculated career move, with a huge upside.

If he’s able to continue to make weight at 155, and that could become an issue, Sanchez can make a serious run at dominating the weight class.

His future could hold a second fight with Kenny Florian which presents an intriguing match up for both the fighters and the UFC. Both men are totally different fighters since they squared off at TUF season one finale. A title shot vs. B.J. Penn will need to be earned despite this impressive victory. Many people might point to Sean Sherk as his next likely opponent, but a match with Clay Guida might be the most alluring. Both men like to keep up an extremely fast pace to their fights and look to slug it out on their feet or on the ground.

One thing is for sure his next fight will be against one of the upper echelon fighters the division as to offer and we will see if he was for real in his debut, or if the win was product of the fight being one dimensional.

At 170 a motivated Sanchez was a huge challenge for anyone to take on, but motivated and determined at 155 might be a scary and unstoppable proposition to tango with.

If everything goes his way, Sanchez could unleash a nightmare on the UFC lightweight division in 2009.