Clay Guida and Diego Sanchez will step into the Octagon in the main event of the Ultimate Fighter Finale Saturday night, and Guida told me that he thinks if he wins, he deserves a shot at the UFC lightweight title. But Sanchez said today that he'd go further than that: He believes he's already the No. 1 contender for the lightweight belt."Kenny Florian is coming up on his second title shot, and this is a guy I walked through four years ago," Sanchez said. "I walked through him and it wasn't even a fight, and this is the No. 1 contender. So in my mind, I am the No. 1 contender right now."
Sanchez said he knows the decision of whether he's the next to fight for the title after Florian faces on UFC champion BJ Penn in August isn't up to him, and he obviously needs to beat Guida on Saturday night before he can talk about being next in line for a title shot. But Sanchez does think that he's more than earned it.
"That's up to Dana White and Lorenzo (Fertitta) and the UFC," Sanchez said. "But this is going to be my 15th fight in the Octagon and everyone knows my story: I lost a split decision to Jon Fitch, and I lost a fight to Josh Koscheck when I was sick, and those are my only two losses in my career."
Sanchez added that he'll be pulling for Penn to retain his belt at UFC 101. But no matter who the champion is after the Penn-Florian fight, Sanchez believes he's next in line.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-18-2009 @ 4:51PM
HBC.Tom said...
That was years ago!!! Now every year that goes by it seems like Sanchez is taking a step back or everyone is just getting better.
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6-18-2009 @ 5:40PM
imshortyk said...
The only people I can see beating Diego right now would . . . Kenny Florian, BJ Penn or Clay Guida. Oh, and Tyson Griffin if he can somehow control Diego. I think Diego will win tomorrow though, I just hope he doesn't think Kenny's the same dude he fought way back when. Which I doubt. He's smarter than that. And am I the only person excited about Melvin Guillard coming back? That guy's so explosive and strong he nearly takes peoples' heads off when he connects. If he works on that ground game (like he says he has) he WILL be a force. A major one.
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6-18-2009 @ 7:26PM
labuyu said...
I personally think you can add Nick Diaz to the list of lightweights that can beat Sanchez, and there are others. People forget Diego Sanchez first fought Florian at 184 lbs, a weight class at which Florian had no business fighting. At 155 Sanchez is stepping into Florian's world. Florian has a wider variety of skills and has improved much more than has Sanchez over the past few years. I am not sure exactly why Sanchez feels he is #1 contender because he has beaten Joe Stevenson in a decision? Ken Florian mopped the floor with Stevenson. I am going with Guida over big mouth Sanchez.
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6-19-2009 @ 12:00AM
johncdaman said...
diego is number 1 contender after one fight at lightweight he is a joke. i hope guida puts him away
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