
Update: This fight will not happen. Sanchez is now booked to fight David Bielkheden.
Diego Sanchez (17-2) is set to return to action against against Roan Carneiro (12-6) at UFC 82: “Pride of a Champion” on March 1 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, according to recent MySpace bulletin from the “Nightmare.”
Here’s the snip:
“It was announced today that Diego Sanchez will take on Roan Carneiro at UFC 82 Saturday, March 1 Columbus, OH on Pay Per View! It’s officially on! Diego is ready to get down to it!”
Sanchez is on a two-fight losing skid, dropping back-to-back bouts to American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) training partners, Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch. Those were the first two defeats of his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career and he was contemplating moving down to fight at lightweight.
However, Sanchez recently decided against that and will now look to get back on track against “Jucao” at 170 pounds.
Carneiro has two wins in three tries inside the Octagon. He has also went up against and lost to Fitch. His last time out at UFC 79: “Nemesis” he handled the veteran Tony DeSouza, earning a technical knockout via strikes in round two.
UFC 82 features a handful of sweet match ups, including the monster showdown between UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva, and the last man to hold the Pride FC welterweight title, Dan Henderson.
For the most recent UFC 82 fight card click here.
35 Comments »


















I hope to see Diego come back strong after his last two performances. I still think he’s a solid MMA fighter. I no longer have him ranked top 10 but he’s a few wins away.
nice diego will win
i still think he is top ten with wins over karo and diaz he is no mug
so who wins this one?
If Diego and Marcus Davis win their respective fights I would like to see them face each other in the cage (Perhaps UFC 74?)… It would be nice to see if Davis really can hang with the big boys…
Im taking Diego in this one. But Roan is huge for a WW. I just dont think he has fought anymone that is gonna push the pace like Sanchez will. Diego will eventually wear him down and break his spirit. Diego by GnP in the 3rd.
[quote post=”4605″](Perhaps UFC 74?)[/quote]
Ufc 84 you mean?
I would also like to see that fight. It would be a close fight i think
I think Diego would destroy Marcus Davis
[quote comment=”273006″]If Diego and Marcus Davis win their respective fights I would like to see them face each other in the cage (Perhaps UFC 74?)… It would be nice to see if Davis really can hang with the big boys…[/quote]
I think thats an excellent idea. If they win these fights it would be a great match up and it would be a great way to judge how far Marcus’s game has really come. Good Sh*t!
[quote comment=”273007″]Im taking Diego in this one. But Roan is huge for a WW. I just dont think he has fought anymone that is gonna push the pace like Sanchez will. Diego will eventually wear him down and break his spirit. Diego by GnP in the 3rd.[/quote]
This is a good but winnable fight for Diego. Roan is no can, but Diego should be able to get his career back on track with a win against Roan. There are a lot of questions that Diego needs to answer. He is coming off of back to back losses after being undefeated for like 19 fights, he recently got dumped by his hot ass fiance Ali Sonoma. Where’s Diego’s head at? Can he return to the NIGHTMARE that beat Diaz and Karo? Roan is a great oponent for Diego to answer these questions against!
The UFC is throwing Sanchez a bone by giving him a much easier fight to win with Roan Carneiro (compared to Marcus Davis or Jake Shields).
UFC has invested a lot of money hyping Sanchez, and needs to carefully nurse his record back to health.
The nightmare for Sanchez is that people now have his number (like Hughes, Liddel and others). Just like the key to a lock, folks see how to beat him.
Randy Couture’s Natural Picks - UFC 80 He is usually on point with his predictions, although he was wrong at UFC 79 picking SOKO and Wandy, but then again..so did I
Randy’s pics for UFC 80:
Kendall Grove
Jason Lambert
Marcus Davis
Gabriel Gonzaga
BJ Penn
you got to give it to diego, he doesn’t fight any bums…this could be another dangerous match up for him if he didn’t add some size and strength since the fitch fight. carneiro is a big strong ww and he even gave fitch some trouble with that early in their fight, so diego better be prepared for that. i hate to think about what would happen if diego lost this fight, he needs a win here…
I would give that fight to Diego. Probably by ground and pound. He’s better off without that Ali Sonoma. She looks like she has an eating disorder anyway, seriously.
will this fight go in the place of the Fitch fight since Gono got injured??? lots of welterweights on this card. should be exciting. im wondering if they are going to remove the fitch fight and put that on the next card if Gono heals up in time. should help 83 out since its seems to be a lil weak at the moment.
I really think this will be a HUGE LOSS for Diego. No one thinks Fitch has fought top guys, but Carneiro was one of his toughest fights. Diego loses 3 in a row before dropping to 155, where he won’t be much more successful
I used to get excited when I would hear Diego was fighting, now I’m kind of “meh”. I hope we see the “old: Diego in this fight.
[quote comment=”273036″]you got to give it to diego, he doesn’t fight any bums…this could be another dangerous match up for him if he didn’t add some size and strength since the fitch fight. carneiro is a big strong ww and he even gave fitch some trouble with that early in their fight, so diego better be prepared for that. i hate to think about what would happen if diego lost this fight, he needs a win here…[/quote]
I agree with that. I really hope Diego packed on some size. Something tells me he probably did. In his post fight interview against Fitch he said he is contemplating moving down to 155 or do some more power lifting and get stronger. So my guess is he did get stronger.
I think that is all that was lacking against Fitch. And we all know Sanchez can add the size just look at him in TUF 1. I think the Nightmare bounces back with a huge win.
War Diego
I think Diego was actually holding his own fairly well against Fitch and can rebound with a big win. Getting himself back in the title hunt. A bout of him versus Davis would be a nice setup. Fitch versus the winner of Serra versus GSP. Hughes versus the loser Serra. Diego has to get a few quick victories then he should rematch with Kozchek.
[quote comment=”273026″]The UFC is throwing Sanchez a bone by giving him a much easier fight to win with Roan Carneiro (compared to Marcus Davis or Jake Shields).
UFC has invested a lot of money hyping Sanchez, and needs to carefully nurse his record back to health.
The nightmare for Sanchez is that people now have his number (like Hughes, Liddel and others). Just like the key to a lock, folks see how to beat him.[/quote]
Jake Shields isn’t even in the UFC, how would you expect Diego to fight him?
Diego just fought Karo, Koscheck and Fitch… almost consecutively… lets not sound any sirens about easy fights.
And don’t slight Carneiro, he’s a tough SOB with slick jiu-jitsu.
Any fight in MMA is always dangerous seems like dudes like Diego are loosing to unknowns only to put them on the map all of a sudden, wouldnt that be a shocker, Like Cro cop like the Dean of mean and extc.. we will see what happens
Diego is about to get worked
diego is gunna stomp a mudhole into Roan Carneiro knock out 2nd round diego sanchez
I wanted to see him at 155 i think he would do alot better at that weight class.
i dont see why in the hell MY comments always gave to await moderation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Diego is a good fighter, but I think he needs to utilize some kicks more to strengthen his game.
[quote comment=”273428″]diego is gunna stomp a mudhole into Roan Carneiro knock out 2nd round diego sanchez[/quote]
Carneiro is tough, much respect to Diago for not taking a bitch fight like most guys in his position would, i see diago by dec
[quote comment=”273026″]The UFC is throwing Sanchez a bone by giving him a much easier fight to win with Roan Carneiro (compared to Marcus Davis or Jake Shields).[/quote]
How is he going to fight Jake Shields? Did the UFC sign him?
[quote post=”4605″]Anderson Silva, and the last man to hold the Pride FC welterweight title, Dan Henderson.[/quote]
Dan had the Pride WW title too? Wow, he’s the man!
hope dirty sanchez loses
Sanchez is done! thats right I said it, he is DONE, Roan is gonna verify my comment
Diego Sanchez is the most exciting fighter in MMA
He’s never been stopped
His head was messed up in his last fights
He will be back and beat their heads in.
I hope Diego comes back strong. He is very well rounded, but he always seems to come in the with a very one dimensional mindset, like a boxer agaisnt riggs and Kos, and a BJJ specialist agsint Fitch. He needs to come in with all his tools, his gameplans are not very good.
What can I say about Diego? Gound & pound is not enough in mma, he needs to work on using kicks, Eelbows & enjoy the sport like before.
this coming fight will answer many question about size and power @ 170.
Roan gave Jon Fitch an ok fight but Diego did better then Roan vs Fitch.
All in all he can be a great fighter, i see him one day has the 170 champ or 155 champ.
He is still young~!