Diego Sanchez is one win away from a welterweight title shot
Watch out Georges St. Pierre Carlos Condit.
If longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight veteran Diego Sanchez beats Jake Ellenberger in tonight's UFC on Fuel TV main event in Omaha, does it earn him a shot at the division title?
Yes!
That's according to "The Dream," who told media members at the "Sanchez vs. Ellenberger" open workouts that his opponent is one of the top guys in their weight class and beating "The Juggernaut" puts him above the other top division contenders.
Sanchez elaborates to FOX News Latino, after the jump.
Jon Jones: I miss being friends with Rashad Evans
Sounds like Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones may have conflicting feelings when it comes to former friend and training partner Rashad Evans.
Jones recently told Laurence Holmes (via Yahoo! Sports) he misses their friendship and the "good times" they had as training partners, something the competitive nature and "business" of their sport got in the way of.
"We trained together and we had good times, but this competition has come between our friendship, which sucks. I do miss being friends with the guy. But it's business, and he's coming after my championship. I've gotta do what I've gotta do. It might be a little awkward punching him in the face, but I'm sure the first time he swings at me, it will get reactionary. I'd like to get to a point of being cordial, but to be friends again is not necessary. There's thousands of wonderful people in the world I can meet. After all that's been said, we can just live our lives. Respect is all that's necessary for me."
Then again, this is the same fighter who told Jon Anik of Ultimate Insider that he and Evans "were never really that close" to begin with and never became like "brothers," a term frequently heard among training partners at Jackson's MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Pat Barry gets tooled in a jiu-jitsu match by his majesty, Lord Cro Cop (Video)
"Day two in Croatia. Did some weightlifting this morning then go back into the gym later this evening ready to kick some ass and [Cro Cop] challenges me to a jiu-jitsu match. Why the fuck are we doing a jiu-jitsu match? I have no idea. He has a kickboxing match coming up, but whatever, I'm Pat, I'm in the fucking UFC bitch, I'm in a video game, I'll do it. So, set the terms, hit start, 30 minute round. I got submitted five times. Three Kimuras on my left arm, one triangle and some shit I can't even name. But, because I lost, for the rest of my time here in Croatia the next two weeks, I have to refer to him as your majesty, Lord Cro Cop, and raise my hand and ask to have some water or use the bathroom, which is some shit because I already look like the fucking Hunchback of Notre Dame."
Despite his display of submission defense against Christian Morecraft at UFC on FX last month in Nashville, it sounds like heavyweight hurter Pat Barry still has a ways to go on his ground game, especially if he's getting smoked in a grappling match by famed Croatian kickboxer Mirko Filipovic. "HD" is overseas helping "Cro Cop" get ready for a return to the K-1 circuit while he helps himself get ship-shape for a UFC on FOX 3 showdown opposite Lavar Johnson. The blind leading the blind? Or two talented strikers having a little fun in camp?
Editor's note: Mr. Barry has responded to this story and presented an argument for his defense, after the jump.
UFC on FUEL TV's Diego Sanchez promises to deliver what Nick Diaz vs Carlos Condit didn't
And that's a dogfight!
Just about everyone and their mother expected the interim welterweight title fight between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit at UFC 143 on Feb. 4, 2012, to be a knock-down, drag-out war of attrition. That's because both men are proven finishers, earning rightful reputations within the mixed martial arts (MMA) community as outright bad asses.
However, Condit flipped the script on fight night, executing a very smart -- albeit uncharacteristic -- counter-striking strategy. It was the perfect antidote to Diaz's aggressive hunt 'em down, box 'em up and get 'em out attack. In fact, Diaz, along with most fans watching, was completely puzzled and failed to make any significant in-fight adjustments that got the "Natural Born Killer" to exchange on his terms.
The result was a disappointing (and to some, controversial) decision in favor of Condit.
For the fans who shelled out $45 to watch "Diaz vs. Condit," only to be let down and frustrated, Diego Sanchez promises to make it up to them by putting on a memorable, exciting performance against Jake Ellenberger in the UFC on Fuel TV 1 main event, which takes place at the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb., tomorrow night (Feb. 15, 2012).
Best of all, MMA fans don't have to fork over one red cent because the fight will be included in FUEL TV's free preview weekend.
His vow:
"The switch goes on and once they lock that door, it's battle mode. I know he's going in there to knock my head off and I have to go in there and try and knock his head off, too. We're going to do what we do -- we're true, true warriors. And we're going to bring the dogfight that you didn't get to see in the last pay-per-view."
Watch "The Dream" and "The Juggernaut" talk more about their important -- an hopefully thrilling -- 170-pound showdown after the jump:
UFC on FUEL TV weigh in photos gallery for 'Ellenberger vs Sanchez' on Feb. 14 in Omaha
UFC on Fuel TV: "Ellenberger vs. Sanchez" is all set to pop off tomorrow night (Weds., Feb. 15, 2012) from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb., featuring a welterweight bout between Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez.
The winner of the match could have the inside track on a future fight against newly-crowned 170-pound champion, Carlos Condit, while reigning division kingpin, Georges St. Pierre, continues to recover from recent knee surgery.
An exciting heavyweight showdown between Stefan Struve vs. Dave Herman is also on tap, serving as the co-main event for the first-ever complete mixed martial arts (MMA) event to be featured on the FOX-owned network.
Before we can get to the good stuff, however, every one of the competitors on tomorrow night's UFC on Fuel TV fight card had to hit the scales in the "Gateway to the West" to make sure they aren't carrying any extra baggage.
Thankfully, none of them are and all 10 bouts are now official.
After the jump, you can check out photos (via UFC.com) from today's UFC on FUEL TV weigh-in event. For complete results click here, for staredowns click here and to watch the full UFC on FUEL TV weigh-in video click here.
Video: Tim Sylvia can be a title contender and beat 80-percent of the heavyweights in the UFC
" I'm doing this big push, I'm trying to get back into the UFC and I think I deserve to be there. ... I was in the UFC back when there was five to six shows a year. Now there are shows every three weeks, so they have to put guys in like (Christian) Morecraft, Joey Beltran, Stefan Struve; the list goes on and on. I don't understand why any of these guys are in the UFC, and to be frankly honest, I think I knock them out in the first round. I'm ready. I can beat 80 percent of the guys in the UFC. If you don't think I can, how about you make a push and try to get me into the UFC just to see me get my ass kicked."
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia is doing a little bit of campaigning asking for fans help to get him back into the ranks of the UFC. "The Maniac" took to "The Underground" to post this video asking for fans support for his "push" to get back into the world's largest mixed martial (MMA) promotion, a place he called home for more than six years before he was sent packing after a loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 81. Since his departure, he has amassed a 6-3 record, including losses to Fedor Emelianenko and former pro boxer Ray Mercer. With the promotion putting on a show seemingly every week, Sylvia feels he can fill some vacant spots on a few cards in place of a select few fighters in the heavyweight division that he thinks he can knock out. But has Sylvia's time passed and are his better days behind him? Or do any of you still feel he has enough left in the tank to compete with the new breed of big boys in the UFC? Anyone jumping on the "Get Tim Sylvia back into the UFC" bandwagon?
Such great heights: Stefan Struve UFC on Fuel TV interview exclusive with MMAmania.com
Once considered a tremendous liability, Stefan Struve is beginning to truly believe in his striking.
"The Skyscraper" has slowly been packing on some bulk to his lanky 6'11" frame and on top of that, he's been perfecting his technique. Most notably, he's been working with top kickboxer and trainer Mousid Akamrane, which began to pay some dividends in his last fight against talented striker Pat Barry.
In that fight, the giant Dutchman did a terrific job of keeping the powerful puncher at bay with his lengthy reach, and he's now brimming with confidence.
Poised to put together a nice streak in the UFC heavyweight division, Struve will be battling fellow top prospect Dave Herman in the co-main event of UFC on Fuel TV tomorrow night (February 15, 2012) in Omaha, Nebraska.
The towering 24 year-old spoke with MMAmania.com during an appearance on The Verbal Submission this past weekend about avoiding being suckered into a brawl, developing proper technique and why he thinks his jiu-jitsu will work against Herman tomorrow night.
Check it out:
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UFC on Fuel TV fight card: Diego Sanchez vs Jake Ellenberger preview
A potential UFC welterweight title contender will be emerging tomorrow night (February 15, 2012) as original Ultimate Fighter Diego Sanchez battles the heavy-hitting Jake Ellenberger in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV in Omaha, Nebraska.
Sanchez, a former lightweight title challenger, returned to Greg Jackson's gym and has showcased his tremendous heart in consecutive spirited performances at welterweight. He's trying to become a player at 170 and he will definitely make a statement if he can knock off one of the fastest rising contenders in the division in Ellenberger.
Jake Ellenberger is returning to his home state of Nebraska for the first time in over five years, and now he's doing it as a headliner and budding UFC title contender. His 53 second destruction Jake Shields last September exploded him onto the map and now it's time to see if he can keep his momentum rolling as he takes on one of the gutsiest fighters in the UFC.
Will Sanchez slay his demons and live his "Dream" with a main event victory? Can Ellenberger potentially earn an interim title shot by slaying Sanchez? How does each man find victory tomorrow night?
Let's find out:





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