Diego Sanchez makes successful lightweight debut at UFC 95

Most fighters move up in weight as they get older, but Diego Sanchez did the opposite.  It looks to have been a good move, as in his first fight in the lightweight division “The Nightmare” dominated a game Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson over three rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC 95 held at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday. 

Sanchez has had his ups and downs as a professional fighter, including a staph infection that left ‘a hole the size of a coffee cup’ in his thigh but despite these setbacks he compiled an impressive 19-2 record as a welterweight and middleweight heading into Saturday’s fights.  His lone defeats have both been by decision—a split decision loss to Jon Fitch and a unanimous decision verdict against Josh Koscheck.  Lost in the mix at welterweight, he decided to cut all the way down to 155 and try his hand as a lightweight.

He had no trouble making weight and at fight time had rehydrated back up to near his usual ‘walking around’ weight of 170.  Yet it was his tactical superiority and not his naturally larger build that frustrated Stevenson on this occasion.  Stevenson’s fight style is very predictable—he’s a straight ahead puncher who looks to load up a big shot.  Sanchez had no trouble figuring out his foe’s tactics and counterpunched him to death.

In addition, Sanchez did an impressive job of mixing up his own strikes—he wove together an offensive patchwork consisting of punches, kicks, elbows and knees with a few takedown and submission attempts for good measure.  As the fight progressed, it became apparent that his versatility was giving Stevenson fits. 

Sanchez easily won the first two rounds, and more or less “coasted” in the final frame.  Despite a less frenetic workrate from his opponent, Stevenson did little to take advantage of the situation. Needing a stoppage to gain the victory, he was unable to find any effective punching room.  One judge gave “Joe Daddy” the final round, with the other two giving Sanchez all three for a 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 unanimous decision victory for “The Nightmare”.