Their worst Nightmare: MMAmania.com exclusive interview with UFC welterweight Diego Sanchez
By: Jesse Holland
Diego Sanchez is no stranger to controversy. Once a rising star on season one of The Ultimate Fighter, Sanchez has become and continues to be one of the most talked about fighters in the sport of MMA.
As his undefeated record started to reach mythical proportions, Sanchez seemed destined for welterweight greatness. Thrilling victories over top welterweights Nick Diaz and Karo Parisyan (and a devastating KO against Joe Riggs) further cemented his status as the future of the division.
And then it all came tumbling down.
Just days before his fight with Josh Koscheck at UFC 69, Diego was diagnosed (improperly) with Hepatitis C. While it was later learned he was suffering from a staph infection, the illness affected his performance and the usually ferocious Sanchez trudged his way to a unanimous decision loss.
Add to that his subsequent departure from the Greg Jackson camp, and a displaced Sanchez found himself on the losing end once again against Koscheck teammate and welterweight contender Jon Fitch at UFC 76.
Now finally settled at the University of Jiu Jitsu (UNIJJ) under Saulo Ribeiro and his team in San Diego, “Nightmare” looks to get back to his winning ways - and his destiny to become the UFC welterweight champion.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Diego thank you for taking the time to speak with us at MMAmania. Let’s start with UFC 82. Tell us how you ended up fighting newcomer David Bielkheden?
Diego Sanchez: He’s the one who stepped up to the plate. Joe Silva called everybody he could and nobody wanted to take the fight with me. I think it’s well known that I’m a very dangerous fighter - maybe even more so amongst the fighters.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Since pounding out Brian Gassaway at UFC 54 back in 2005, five of your last six fights have gone to a decision. How important is it to you - especially as a fighter who wants to keep the reputation of being dangerous - to finish a fight?
Diego Sanchez: It’s very important to me. But fifteen minutes is not a lot of time and there are so many factors that can influence the outcome. Those fights were also very tough match-ups. You had Karo Parisyan, Nick Diaz who is as tough a dude as there is, these are tough guys and sometimes it goes to a decision no matter what. Some guys have styles that make them very hard to finish.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): But you didn’t have that problem against Joe Riggs.
Diego Sanchez: That’s the only KO of my career but man it felt good.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): You mentioned your opponent’s styles. Critics have accused you of having an identity crisis inside the Octagon. Tell us how you transition from ground ‘n pound coming out of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) show to strictly boxing against Koscheck to jiu-jitsu against Jon Fitch.
Diego Sanchez: I’m evolving as a mixed martial artist. I have to evolve at a higher speed than my opponents in order to be a world champion. I may have had two bumps in the road but make no mistake about it I’m here to be the world champion. I’m learning man, just like everybody else. I’m training now under Saulo Ribeiro — a legend in the sport. Training in the Gi has totally taken me to another level.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): But you did go into the Koscheck fight with the intention of keeping it standing? Did the Riggs KO have any influence on that decision?
Diego Sanchez: I wanted to knock out Koscheck but I was sick and I wasn’t myself. That fight was a nightmare. My mind wasn’t there and most people who know me know that I wasn’t there for that fight. He didn’t even do anything. He tried to throw some punches so that he could score his points and get out of there. He was too scared to try and finish me. Throw some punches, score some points and retreat. He could have tried to engage like Karo. Look at the Karo fight and see what happens when two guys try to finish each other the whole fight. You get fight of the year.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): For a guy who is known for exciting fights, how hard was it to hear the fans boo the end of your fight with Koscheck?
Diego Sanchez: That being my first loss was difficult enough to deal with, but I did try and look at it in a positive way. It humbled me and I had to learn from it. I was starting to lose my way. I was enjoying the lifestyle a little too much. I would collect my paycheck and then go off and do some traveling. I would go to Miami and party and meet different people. That’s not what a champion does and that’s not what got me here. That’s not me but I got sucked into it. It was nice, I was living the dream, but then I realized wait a minute I’m not the champion. I have unfinished business inside the Octagon. My career is not over yet.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Explain the motivation behind the Koscheck shove at the weigh-ins for UFC 69. Was it mind games or do you just flat-out hate the guy?
Diego Sanchez: Me and Koscheck have personal issues. He was talking mess to my family, doing whatever he could to get a rematch with me. It worked because he pissed me off. I didn’t need the fight but Dana approached me about it and I took it.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): And after that you had your second loss to Jon Fitch. I’ll bet that didn’t help ease any of the pain from loss #1.
Diego Sanchez: My life was in transition then. I changed teams, I changed camps, my training was different, my drills were different, everything changed. I still went into the fight and attacked. I may have had the wrong strategy. I probably should have kept it standing more but I was always going for the finish. He held position. He didn’t once try to pass my guard or do any kind of damage. He hit me with two punches and glancing hammer fists. If the guys over at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) are happy with just squeaking out these wins then let them have it. To me winning with as little effort as possible is nothing to be proud of. If you want to be proud, be proud of a war - win or lose.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): So you feel that the Fitch strategy was like the Koscheck strategy? Score enough points to get the win and go home?
Diego Sanchez: Exactly! He didn’t do anything. He wasn’t in one position to finish me and he hit me with no clean shots. He couldn’t even pass my guard! Where are the points? In his lay ‘n pray? I don’t understand the judges sometimes, it’s like they don’t understand jiu-jitsu but I guess holding top position is all it takes. I knew they were giving it to him but all I can do is accept it and move on. I give Fitch credit for the win because he is strong but he also taught me that I need to be stronger too. I need to get back to weightlifting and work on my power.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): So having said that we can assume you plan to stay at 170lbs indefinitely?
Diego Sanchez: Oh yeah, I’ll never go down to 155. I did consider it but it’s hard because my true weight class for my body type would be 163. I’m too big for 155. If I made that drop I would have to sacrifice too much muscle. Right now I’m walking around at 177, but a very lean 177. I was very real with myself after the Jon Fitch fight and I knew that I had to make these adjustments.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Can losing a high profile match or back-to-back matches make a fighter question whether or not he belongs in a certain weight class?
Diego Sanchez: I don’t know, I think it depends on the way that you lose. Look at some of these other guys getting their jaw knocked into the fifth row. You have this guy who is supposed to be unbeatable, an MMA God and Matt Serra went in there and knocked him around.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): That tone leaves me with the impression that you’re not entirely sold on GSP’s immortality.
Diego Sanchez: Oh no. You know what? I respect him, he’s a great warrior who is very strong, but I don’t fear him like some of the other guys at 170. He’s just a man. I could have went down to 155 to avoid him but my dream started at 170 and I’m gonna see it through. He’s out at my old camp now.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): He’s now with Greg Jackson and you’re not. Based on what you’ve said thus far I’ll assume that’s more than just a coincidence?
Diego Sanchez: I have so much respect for the Jackson camp. Keith Jardine, Nate Marquardt, all those guys, they’re still my boys. My loyalty was very strong. But GSP could have gone to any camp he wanted. He knew that place was my home, my dream. That took a little something out of my heart. He’s training in the cage that I bled in, that I sweat in and cried in.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Did you feel pushed aside when he arrived?
Diego Sanchez: Put yourself there for a minute. You’re an undefeated fighter coming off two of the biggest wins of your career (Parisyan/Riggs). Now they’re bringing in the champion of your weight class to train with your guys? For three months I was telling Greg that my heart wasn’t feeling it. Greg kept telling me “Trust me, trust me, you guys are going to make each other the best” but I kept feeling like their true intentions were to make me go down to 155. I mean most of the Jackson fighters cut a lot of weight and that’s not me. I wasn’t going to do it. I wasn’t bowing down to Georges St. Pierre. I ain’t riding nobody’s coattails. I’m Diego Sanchez and just because I had two decision losses - one while I was sick and one controversial to a top five welterweight - does not mean that I’m gonna give up on my dream, my dream to be welterweight champion. Maybe me and GSP will throw down in Albuquerque somewhere in the future. Dana told me there is going to be a show in Albuquerque. I don’t want to fight him unless it’s for the title. I want him for five rounds.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What would you do to prepare for that fight?
Diego Sanchez: The way GSP destroyed Matt Hughes I said to myself the only way I’m gonna beat this guy is to outwork him. I have something in my heart that he doesn’t have. Maybe he has something that I don’t, but you know what? That’s what we’re gonna put against each other in the ring. I just pray that it’s a five round fight. I don’t want it to be about points. I want him to be the champion at the time and have to fight me for five rounds. Believe me if Koscheck and Fitch had to go five rounds things would have been different. I’ll never get tired. It’s genetic with me, all in my DNA. I’m here to fight.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Assuming you’re able to get past David Bielkheden at UFC 82, what’s next for Diego Sanchez?
Diego Sanchez: I want a rematch with Koscheck. I’ve already talked to Dana about it and he understands my situation. Dana and I talk about this stuff. He was ready to announce my retirement after the first fight because of the Hepatitis test. That was scary. I thought my career was over. I had no back-up plan.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): You don’t seem to be in any hurry to fight for the title. Is that by choice? Take us back to Fight Night 7. You KO Joe Riggs and have an undefeated record including 6-0 in the UFC. Why then does the UFC present Koscheck? Why not fight for title contention?
Diego Sanchez: I’ve never been in a rush for a title shot. I’m still improving, especially in my striking. It’s all good. When Joe Silva and the UFC say it’s time to fight for the title then it’s time.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Would you consider yourself a top five welterweight?
Diego Sanchez: Of course man! Who else is there? GSP, Matt Serra, Matt Hughes…
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Do you put Fitch up there?
Diego Sanchez: Yeah, of course, even though he didn’t do anything to me! Who else after that? It’s not BJ Penn, he’s a lightweight.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Koscheck?
Diego Sanchez: Yeah, I guess then Koscheck.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): As a TUF pioneer, how do you rate the recent crop of fighters to come from the show? Has the quality gone down or have the standards gone up?
Diego Sanchez: That’s a hard question to answer. There are some good fighters coming through, but for season one they had to take mostly real fighters, pros. If the quality has gone down it’s not by much.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How do you want to be remembered as a fighter?
Diego Sanchez: As one of the most exciting fighters ever. A fighter who always pushes the pace. Most of all I want to be remembered as a champion. I’ve never had this kind of focus. I’m grown up now and ready to win.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): And your relationship with Ali Sonoma?
Diego Sanchez: Oh man we’re in the deepest love ever. She’s truly the one who helped me grow up. Once you fall in love you settle down. We’re better than ever. We rushed into an engagement but that was the la-la land part of the relationship. We know we’re going to get married someday but we both have to take care of our business first. We totally back each other. She’s awesome.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): When you’re not training and not fighting what do you do?
Diego Sanchez: Snowboarding. It’s my passion. It’s the only thing that gets me off more than fighting. But I’m a calm snowboarder now. I just kind of cruise down the mountain. I don’t hit the 780’s or half-pipes anymore. Dana would kill me if I got hurt. Now it’s just for meditative purposes.
Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Diego thank you for taking the time to speak with us at MMAmania and we wish you the best of luck at UFC 82.
Diego Sanchez: Thank you!
For more on Diego Sanchez check out his official website or MySpace page.
For the rest of the UFC 82 fight card click here.
73 Comments »
I think he has a lot to prove before he gets in the cage with GSP. I doubt that would be a close fight, GSP would be too much.
Ive always thought of him as a great fighter that may beat St.Pierre in the future
Good write up Mania. I always thought Diego was a little quirky from his days on TUF1, but the guy can definitely fight. I know UFC fans are a bit focused on “what have you done for us lately”, but the Karo fight was one of the better fights i’ve seen. i’m looking forward to seeing Diego get back in there against top competition.
sounds like diego good on him for being positive and i agree with him saying john fitch is a lay and pray over rated piece of crap i hope karo breaks him when they fight
I thought Ali and him broke up.
[quote comment=”300249″]I thought Ali and him broke up.[/quote]
The engagement is off but they’re still together…
Good interview Jesse…asked him all the right questions. I hope he comes back strong…I never was a fan of his cause I think he’s too high on himself but I’d really like to see him rematch Koscheck. I’d like to see him take on Fitch again as well to see if what he’s saying is true. This guy has a lot of energy and when it’s focused energy…watch out…he’s a serious threat to any fighter. When he’s distracted like he seemed to be in his last few fights…his performance mirrors that. I know he prides himself on his heart…so lets see it like it used to be.
Diego is a maniac and has pride that won’t let him stay down. Let him get some wins under his belt with his new style then watch out for him taking over the welterweight division.
I’m glad to see that Diego is staying as a welterweight. His two decision loses were close and he was sick against KOS. Diego seems more focused than ever. I like that he wants to me known as a great fighter/champion that pushes a ridiculous pace. We just haven’t seen that in his last two outings. I’m looking forward to his next match. I’m sure he’ll destroy his opponent. I want to see him with some subissions or KO/TKO’s. It almost seems like he likes going the distance since he says he never gets tired, but why would you want to leave your fate in the hands of the judges? I hope to see a rematch between Diego and Koscheck. It’ll be a tough pick but I want Diego to whoop Koscheck’s ass. Seriously, doe Kos have any fans out there?
nice interview Jesse…he definately is one of the most passionate fighters..i can see him stringing together a few wins then he can get a title shot…I think he can beat anyone in the ww division, but there are guys who are going to be able to beat him aswell…it just depends on whos feeling it more that night…the type of motivation he has, if he fights for the belt, it would be hard to pick against him..even against GSP
” He’s training in the cage that I bled in, that I sweat in and cried in. ”
Man if I ever wanted to punch a pu$$y, right now would be the perfect time. What a whiner.. Who would pass up an oppurtunity to train with one of the worlds greatest fighters just becuase “my coaches… they want me to cut weight”… whaa whaa whaa…
I think DS is a good fighter but he is too sensitive and brings alot of drama to the table.
Diego is/was a killer man… He will come back.. I think remaining at 170 says a lot for his ambition/drive and attitude..
War Pesadilla!!!
[quote comment=”300252″][quote comment=”300249″]I thought Ali and him broke up.[/quote]
The engagement is off but they’re still together…[/quote]
they had tooo many things going on, she is modeling and he is training rarely see each other so there more like on a break but im sure there like friends with benefits, i guess
I thought Diego pretty much gave the fight to Kos and Fitch was very close. The good thing is though, the UFC gives Diego top fighters to fight. At least they used to.
[quote comment=”300247″]sounds like diego good on him for being positive and i agree with him saying john fitch is a lay and pray over rated piece of crap i hope karo breaks him when they fight[/quote]
Tell you boy Karo to stop runnin’ scared then!
“University of Jiu Jitsu”….you must be joking
sanchez has done some good fighting but he is so stupid it’s embarrassing. it’s unlikely he will ever be champion of anything.
Diego sure is good at making up excuses.
If he doesn’t get beat fighting cans he’ll still have excuses the next time he fights an actual contender.
“He hit me with two punches and glancing hammer fists. If the guys over at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) are happy with just squeaking out these wins then let them have it. To me winning with as little effort as possible is nothing to be proud of. If you want to be proud, be proud of a war - win or lose.”
I think he needs to watch his Koscheck fight again.
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Great interview. I think alot of people look at his 2 losses in a row and automatically come to the conclusion that Diego is done/overrated/not a top level fighter. I never looked at it like that. I know what Diego has done in his career and u dont go undefeated that long by accident.
U have to look at his losses and realize the reasons why he lost. I dont even look at that Kos fight to be honest.Every fighter lays an egg and that night Diego didnt come to fight and neither did Kos. And everyone agrees that Fitch is a monster and I was extremly impressed by Sanchez’s performance and thought he did more to try and finish the fight. And to be honest I think the losses were good for him and got him back hungier and more focused than ever.
Regardless, I never once felt like Diego was close to being finished. Those 2 losses were more like a bump in the road to greatness. I expect him to really come back strong and fininsh Bielkheden off very quickly and move on back up the ladder.
Great interview Jesse. I for one, am not ready to count Diego out yet. You dont get to 19-0 by accident. I think all that destiny talk blew up in his face and I think that the humbling experience will only help him as a fighter. he is still young, so he has plenty of time to reach greatness. I like Diego because he always MANS-Up and fights top competition. You cant hate on a guy like that….Take notes Karo!
Diego should have stayed and trained with GSP at Jackson’s camp… Fitch and Koscheck train together as welterweights and its obviously doing wonders for their game…
Diego is bitter because he wants to be the top dog at his camp and cant handle someone better than he is overshadowing him… GSP walks around about 190-200 pounds, Diego 177, I could see Georges completely over powering him (like Fitch did) if they fought…
Diego is not even top 5 in my opinion… And he’s got a bad attitude towards other fighters…
I dont know what you guys are smoking. No way would I take Diego over GSP. He has proven himself to be a decent fighter but losses to Kos/Fitch barely have him in the top 10 if he is at all.
I love Diego… I can’t wait for him to absolutely destroy Kos next time around. I mean that was the worst fight in the history of the UFC and if you watch every single other Diego fight he brings it full force. Obviously he wasn’t right for that fight.
Mania great interview…Thanks
I thing Diego was good on TUF and only got better afterward. The Karo and Diaz fights will stand out as great great fights in the UFC. I know Fitch was going to be tough test for Diego while that Kos fight surprised me, but now knowing his wasn’t 100% for that fight answered a lot. I am excited to hear his is staying at 170 because like he said when he gets stronger, he will be a good fight for GSP. If Serra (breath breath) can challenge GSP, Diego will soon be in the mix of the top 5 agian.
The only thing that concerns me is him leaving this camp (kind of a BS move from Jackon). Can he be at that same level Jackson had him at? I guess we will all see…
Plus his chick is HOT!!!!
Diego is one of my favorite fighters to watch. Even if he doesn’t finish guys he beats the crap out of him. The Karo fight and the Diaz fights are two of my favorites ever.
He is however my least favorite fighter to hear. Man that guy is annoying. The way he talks makes me want to root against him.
I see him getting a title shot about 15-18 months from now. And maybe winning it.
“I’m training now under guys like Saulo Ribeiro and Rickson Gracie, legends in this sport. Training in the Gi has totally taken me to another level.”
No wonder, those guy’s are still in 1999.
“University of Jiu Jitsu”…. WHat A JOke ~
My advise for DIEGO - Find a Good MMA CAMP !
Go train with the best in MMA - Wrestling- Extreme Couture
Striking - Bas Rutten
Juijitsu - American Top Team
South Florida !
[quote comment=”300297″]”University of Jiu Jitsu”….you must be joking
sanchez has done some good fighting but he is so stupid it’s embarrassing. it’s unlikely he will ever be champion of anything.[/quote]
What’s stupid about it? Saulo Ribeiro is one of the most accomplished jiu jitsu fighters ever. You’d be hard pressed to find somebody better to train under.
He’s speaking like a loser. Koscheck and Fitch didn’t do anything to him? They won the fight! That’s what you’re there for, isn’t it? He talks like he’s a better fighter than those who beat him. He’ll never improve with that mentality.
[quote comment=”300346″]Diego should have stayed and trained with GSP at Jackson’s camp… Fitch and Koscheck train together as welterweights and its obviously doing wonders for their game…
Diego is bitter because he wants to be the top dog at his camp and cant handle someone better than he is overshadowing him… GSP walks around about 190-200 pounds, Diego 177, I could see Georges completely over powering him (like Fitch did) if they fought…
Diego is not even top 5 in my opinion… And he’s got a bad attitude towards other fighters…[/quote]
Plus if I were a fighter I would love to be training with guys that are better than me. Whoe else would be a better training partner for Diego than GSP?!
[quote comment=”300332″]Great interview. I think alot of people look at his 2 losses in a row and automatically come to the conclusion that Diego is done/overrated/not a top level fighter. I never looked at it like that. I know what Diego has done in his career and u dont go undefeated that long by accident.
U have to look at his losses and realize the reasons why he lost. I dont even look at that Kos fight to be honest.Every fighter lays an egg and that night Diego didnt come to fight and neither did Kos. And everyone agrees that Fitch is a monster and I was extremly impressed by Sanchez’s performance and thought he did more to try and finish the fight. And to be honest I think the losses were good for him and got him back hungier and more focused than ever.
Regardless, I never once felt like Diego was close to being finished. Those 2 losses were more like a bump in the road to greatness. I expect him to really come back strong and fininsh Bielkheden off very quickly and move on back up the ladder.[/quote]
i couldn’t agree more with everything you said…
i was very impressed with both fighters in the fitch fight…i think fitch is the number 2 ww in the ufc right now and the only real threat to gsp, he gets out of trouble better than any other fighter i’ve seen, he’s almost impossible to finish, but of all the fights i’ve seen with him, the diego fight was the fight where i thought he was in the most trouble, and more than once…diego does need to get bigger and stronger, but thats not hard to do, thats the easy part, he’s already got the heart and the skills…
he is still a top ww, a bad night and a split decision loss to the number 2 guy doesn’t take that away…he’ll be fighting for that belt one day, i guarantee it…
I would like to see Diego vs. Marcus Davis
Diego is going to crush this clown.
Hopefully they start putting him up against contenders in the division and not scrubs
[quote comment=”300440″]I would like to see Diego vs. Marcus Davis[/quote]
That’d be a high enegy fight. I think if Diego beats his next opponent…maybe give him Gono before a possible rematch with Koscheck. I think the UFC is going to baby him a little before they put him back in the octagon with someone high profiled.
It was bs the judges gave diego the decision over karo. Yes it was a great fight, but to say that diego won that fight is blasphemy. Diego needs to legitimately beat some real talent before I become a believer. I bet you matt serra could knock him out..
Good interview.. GSP would crush him though. But i guess he stands a chance.
Diego doesn’t have the style to have a realistic chance at beating GSP. GSP has to be “caught” with something, and I don’t think that Diego can catch GSP on the feet or on the ground.
Diego can not be discredited completely because he lost his last two fights. Just a few days before the Kos fight, he thought he was dying. A rematch with Kos with a solid victory by Diego would erase that loss. Losing a close decision to Fitch is nothing to feel bad about.
John, I love the idea of Marcus Davis vs Diego Sanchez. I would love to see Diego stand with him, Marcus would knock his head off. I think that Diego would get the better of Marcus on the ground even though Marcus has come a loooooong way since his TUF days. That would be a fight of the year candidate in my opinion. Marcus Davis is supposed to be fighting a Top 10 opponent next, possibly even Top 5. Could Deigo be who they have in mind for him?
Cool. Thanks for the interview. Diego is one of my favorite fighters. I hope he comes back better than ever.
PS - I’ve been hoping for a Diego/GSP fight for the longest time. I hope Diego goes on a tear and earns a fight with him. Both guys are great.
[quote comment=”300487″]Diego can not be discredited completely because he lost his last two fights. Just a few days before the Kos fight, he thought he was dying. A rematch with Kos with a solid victory by Diego would erase that loss. Losing a close decision to Fitch is nothing to feel bad about.
John, I love the idea of Marcus Davis vs Diego Sanchez. I would love to see Diego stand with him, Marcus would knock his head off. I think that Diego would get the better of Marcus on the ground even though Marcus has come a loooooong way since his TUF days. That would be a fight of the year candidate in my opinion. Marcus Davis is supposed to be fighting a Top 10 opponent next, possibly even Top 5. Could Deigo be who they have in mind for him?[/quote]
Thats exactly what I was thinking buddy. Diego fights March 1st…. If he doesnt get beat up too bad in that fight, he could be ready for June 14th to take on Marcus. I agree that it will easily be fight of the year candidate, and it will give us a real good oppoertunity to evaluate just how far Marcus’s game has come since TUF. We all know he can out strike Diego, but if he can survive against Diego on the ground (who has some of the best ground skills in the division), then sky’s the limit for Davis.
Funny, in Real Fighter Magazine, Ali Sonoma says she and Diego are no longer together.
[quote comment=”300522″]Funny, in Real Fighter Magazine, Ali Sonoma says she and Diego are no longer together.[/quote]
I read that also…I guess they got back together.Is Burkman still with that other chick?
I still consider Diego an elite WW, he was sick against Koscheck, and lost a split to Fitch. Regardless of those two losses, he’s doing just fine. I wouldnt be worried.
i think diego is a badass, but here’s the thing with diego…and karo and koscheck and swick for that matter….they are all really good, however i just don’t see any of them really improving enough and at a rate that can really challenge st. pierre. none of those guys can walk through matt hughes the way georges completely crushed him. not on their best days. they might be able to beat hughes, but they can’t crush people the way st. pierre does. except for a few fights, georges has pretty much decimated all the top guys. diego has gone to numerous decisions. yes, those guys are tough, but can you imagine georges fighting nick diaz? he’d rape him in a round, and i love nick diaz. karo? i love karo too, and he’d get crushed in a rematch with georges now. it makes me cringe when i hear how people think georges is so untouchable, but the reality is he’s got a large lead on his whole division. he can totally lose to each of these guys, but where he’s at right now mentally and physically, it’s such a slim chance.
[quote comment=”300544″][quote comment=”300522″]Funny, in Real Fighter Magazine, Ali Sonoma says she and Diego are no longer together.[/quote]
I read that also…I guess they got back together.Is Burkman still with that other chick?[/quote]
Rumor has it that Burkman is in fact with a dude.
(I made that up)
Diego has been one of my favorites since TUF. He’s going to pound out this Euro, then get back to the business of climbing back up the rankings.
Sounds like the same story Diego was selling after he lost to KOS and before the Fitch fight. “I’m a different fighter” “I’m ready”… now he says he was “switching camps”
Diego is a good fighter but to get worked like he did in the Fitch fight… Fitch just over powered him, got the win, and now Diego complains about the style in which he lost? Right after the fight he was planning 155 because he realized he can’t be a fighter like Fitch.
When are people going to realize that a wins a win. Fitch found a weakness and ran with it. Would he have been in title contention if he sliped trying to finish Diego and got caught?
Diego’s only hope is his youth, not more excuses.
GSP would wipe the floor with this whiney bitch!
Diego needs to wake up from his own nightmare, he will never be UFC champ.
- stay at WW, get overpower by a far superior wrestler/striker.
- down to LW, get dominated by a far more technical BJ
- up to MW - Diego’s head would be in the 5th row
Good…interview…Jesse. Alright, I’m ok, hard to get that out. I do agree with Sanchez, I had scored the Fitch fight for Diego for all the submission attempts and trying to finish the fight. But a loss to an unknown in his next fight would be a disaster, and in many ways this is the most important fight of his career.
“University of Jiu Jitsu”… Do you get a degree?
Honestly, I liked watching Diego early on, but since then this ‘Nightmare’ has turned into a ‘Lullaby’. He will never be WW champ as long as Kos, Fitch are in the division… He won’t even make it past those guys, so I don’t even need to mention GSP. DROP TO LW!
I think Diego would do better against GSP than Fitch or Koscheck, cause GSP is better than Kos and Fitch at their strength, wrestling. At least Diego would have the JJ edge, and if you saw the Koscheck fight, you know fighting GSP is inevitably going to lead to you fighting off of your back. I don’t know why people want to throw wrestlers at GSP- he’s fought Koscheck and Hughes, now people want to see him fight Fitch- What are you guys blind- GSP is the best wrestler at WW get it through your heads if you want him to lose he has to get caught standing or in a submission. Fitch will be on his back, and how good is he there? A lot of people at WW would do better than him against GSP for that reason. Also, Fitch’s standup is not very good, so although he is very tough to beat in general, he is at a disadvantage in every category against GSP. People need to take their heads out of their asses and realize they’re basing what they think of Fitch on one fight. Way too many casual fans with a one-fight memory.
[quote comment=”300648″]Sounds like the same story Diego was selling after he lost to KOS and before the Fitch fight. “I’m a different fighter” “I’m ready”… now he says he was “switching camps”
Diego is a good fighter but to get worked like he did in the Fitch fight… Fitch just over powered him, got the win, and now Diego complains about the style in which he lost? Right after the fight he was planning 155 because he realized he can’t be a fighter like Fitch.
When are people going to realize that a wins a win. Fitch found a weakness and ran with it. Would he have been in title contention if he sliped trying to finish Diego and got caught?
Diego’s only hope is his youth, not more excuses.[/quote]
Arnold - Well said….I totally agree!
Violent Mike - I’m still laughing about the Burkman comment!
When Diego talks about his losses he begins to sounds like Melvin Guillard. Melvin doest count losses if he out strikes someone and gets tapped and Diego doesnt count loses if he doesnt get hurt and loses. Damn it guys it doesnt matter how you lost its still a loss.
I think Marcus Davis i so overrated. Who has be fought?? I personally think Diego would destroy Davis. He would take it to the ground so quick and then Davis will realize just how outclassed he is. It would be a viscious ground and pound assault or submission.
Ive ben saying this for months and I really hope they fight so everyone will see this.
BTW, I love Diego but just cant imagine him beating GSP though. GSP is just a better fighter in all aspects. I wish Diego would have stayed with Jacksons camp and trained with GSP. But still I believ Sanchez is a top WW forsure
The fight with Fitch was really close, but when I first saw it I agreed with the judges. The second and third time I thought it could of gone either way. I totally disagree with Diego when he said Fitch didn’t do anything. I definatly think he outworked Diego and pushed the pace. All in all it was a close fight that could have gone either way. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way and that’s what happened to Sanchez.
[quote comment=”300461″]It was bs the judges gave diego the decision over karo. Yes it was a great fight, but to say that diego won that fight is blasphemy. Diego needs to legitimately beat some real talent before I become a believer. I bet you matt serra could knock him out..[/quote]
Dude are you kidding me? Watch that fight again. It was even for the 1st round and a half and then Diego dominated Karo for the final round and a half. Diego took control mid way through the second and just creamed Karo in round 3. Did u miss the flying tooth? Or the fact that Diego was pounding Karo right until the final seconds?
It was a unanimous decision and for good reason
[quote comment=”300808″]I think Diego would do better against GSP than Fitch or Koscheck, cause GSP is better than Kos and Fitch at their strength, wrestling. At least Diego would have the JJ edge, and if you saw the Koscheck fight, you know fighting GSP is inevitably going to lead to you fighting off of your back. I don’t know why people want to throw wrestlers at GSP- he’s fought Koscheck and Hughes, now people want to see him fight Fitch- What are you guys blind- GSP is the best wrestler at WW get it through your heads if you want him to lose he has to get caught standing or in a submission. Fitch will be on his back, and how good is he there? A lot of people at WW would do better than him against GSP for that reason. Also, Fitch’s standup is not very good, so although he is very tough to beat in general, he is at a disadvantage in every category against GSP. People need to take their heads out of their asses and realize they’re basing what they think of Fitch on one fight. Way too many casual fans with a one-fight memory.[/quote]
Diego maybe has a small JJ advantage if he fought GSP, but its a mute point…There’s no way that he could ever take GSP down to use his JJ. GSP has excellent takedown defence (see his last two fights against Hughes and Kos), and those guys are much bigger then Diego. It would be like GSP fighting midget. Plus, Diego’s a cocky bitch - he actually thinks he could take GSP 5 rounds? He doesn’t deserve to hold GSP jockstrap!
Great interview… you asked all the right questions; even the one about Ali. I also wonder if Ali had to leave the UFC b/c of her relationship w/ Diego. Her replacement is a fucking huge step down w/ that horse face and nasty freakish plastic fake cans.
Diego should have stuck w/ Jackson. Training with the best would only make him better. He would’ve been lucky to be getting his ass kicked in practice everyday. At the same time GSP would of been lucky to train w/ a good BJJ guy that has a shitload of heart - hopefully some of that heart could of rubbed off on George. Ahh, ego’s a bitch, but you need it in this life.
wow you always push the pace? yet you complain that you’ve have two fights that were boring because of the other fighters? were you pushing the pace then too? if a fighter can do next to nothing and beat you, then what does that say about you.
stop being so creepy and blaming others for your boring fights. they won, you lost.
in my opinion i think bj penn would be a very good matchup for the simple reasons they both like to scrap and i think diego actually has a chance i say if he loses this fight againt david he needs to move down to 155.i really honestly and im a fern believer in diego sanchez hes my #1 fighter dont think he can beat geogres st. pierre and im not jst saying that because of sanchez’s loses its jst he needs more expierience but i think he could handle bj penn anyday
The only BJ he could beat are the Bartles and James guys. Did you happen to see the Joe Stevenson fight? Do you really think Diego is that much better than Joe Stevenson, c’mon man, don’t be crazy.
Diego is decent but not in the same league as the top guys, Fitch man-handled him the entire fight. Kos will punish him if they fight again. Diego vs. Burkman is a better fight for Diego.
Great Interview, Liked how he thought he was a top 5 ww then after questioning admitted he was actually #6.
I dont understand how grappling with a GI can take your jui jitsu to another level when you dont fight with a gi
Jesse maybe you can replace that disaster of a host on inside MMA on HDfight network, that guy has got to go, they need some one like tre wingo who hosts inside the NFL on espn that guy can carry the whole show by himself if he needed to, they need someone like that
[quote comment=”300237″]I think he has a lot to prove before he gets in the cage with GSP. I doubt that would be a close fight, GSP would be too much.[/quote]
agreed with this comment. gsp is too powerful for diego, he’d be worse than fitch.
IMO 10 ten welter weights
1.gsp
2.penn if he moved up
3.fitch
4.koscheck
5 matt hughes
6.diego sanchez
7.karo parisyan
8.matt serra
9.chris lytle
10.jake shields
[quote comment=”301077″]in my opinion i think bj penn would be a very good matchup for the simple reasons they both like to scrap and i think diego actually has a chance i say if he loses this fight againt david he needs to move down to 155.i really honestly and im a fern believer in diego sanchez hes my #1 fighter dont think he can beat geogres st. pierre and im not jst saying that because of sanchez’s loses its jst he needs more expierience but i think he could handle bj penn anyday[/quote]
I think BJ would destroy Diego. Diego’s got a good ground game, but BJ’s is way better. BJ could also choose to stand with Diego and knock him out.
I think BJ would destroy Diego. Diego’s got a good ground game, but BJ’s is way better. BJ could also choose to stand with Diego and knock him out.
diego would put bj on his back and ground and pound like he was born to do bj penn would get a facefull of fist
I still question BJ’s cardio, especially at 170. Diego may be able to wear him down and go in for the kill.
Hopefully diego can get this win but he cant look past David Bielkheden. David sounds to be a pretty tough guy what is he like 12-5 and he’s from brazilian top team. All his losses are by decisions so he hasnt been finished in a fight yet so we will see. I think Diego deff has the bigger skill set but it will be a good fight both fighters are hard to finish. And i dont care what anyone says a fit focused Diego is easily a top 5 welterweight. Is Deigo ready for GSP just yet no i dont think so he needs to put on some muscle with fighters like hughes and GSP being as big as they are in the WW class. He also needs to stay focused and progress in the right direction. Give it a couple years or sooner depending and diego could very well be in the top 3.