 MMAyou.com caught up with Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez as he looks to take on Luigi Fioravanti at Ultimate Fight Night 7 on June 21st. Check out what Sanchez has to say regarding his opponent, his thoughts on a possible match-up with GSP, and who he would like to face next.
MMAyou.com: First, how are you doing?
Sanchez: I’m doing outstanding man. Just grinding out the training. Got back on the W side when I fought David Bielkheden on March 1st in Columbus. Now I’ve just got one thing in mind and that’s rising back to the top and getting a title shot with GSP or a rematch with Fitch if he wins it or whoever. BJ Penn, you know I want to fight one of the top guys and I want to be the champ.
MMAyou.com: Speaking of GSP how do you think a fight with you and him would go down?
Sanchez: You know I think it would be a very interesting fight. I’ve been with Saulo Riberio, it’ll be a year in August. I’ll tell you what, I’ve been training with Saulo Riberio and Xande Riberio and all these guys that are bigger then me in the gi. My ground game has gone to levels that I never even thought were possible. I’m continuing to improve my striking and I think it would be a great fight. I think it would be a standup fight and GSP likes to take people down and I’m fine with that.
I think it would be a (inaudible) fight. I would love to have five rounds. Lots of conditioning and lots of heart kind of fight.
MMAyou.com: Speaking of BJ Penn if he moves to up to 170 is that a fight you would want to take and how would that go down?
Sanchez: I got a lot of respect for BJ. He’s a good dude and he’s a great champion and he’s a warrior. He fights and I respect that and I think it would be an awesome fight and I think it would be a huge draw. I would love that fight to happen. I think it would also go down as another great fight. Two guys that are willing to get in there and like BJ says “Just scrap” and wherever the fight may go you know I’m always gonna be pushing scrambles and I’m gonna always be pushing takedowns and trying to work my game which is truly ground and pound with submissions is my little game. If the fight’s standing on the feet I’m comfortable there, I just think it’s smarter and a better decision to get the fight on the ground and fight from the top position because you’re going to be taking less damage and the longevity of your career is going to be longer.
The less hits to the head the better. You got all these MMA fighters who love to slug it out and that’s very entertaining and everything but I’m not looking to be slugfest champion. I’m looking to be a mixed martial artist and that’s a mix of all the martial arts.
MMAyou.com: There were rumors of you going down to 155. If BJ moves up and the title is vacated would you want to go down in weight and possibly fight for that title?
Sanchez: Um, nah. I’m gonna stay at 170. I walk around 180 if I’m eating good, 182 if I’m eating good, eating healthy, and not really training so much. The way I train, I do so much cardio that it is just… It’s hard man. It’s hard to keep the weight on because I’m doing at least two a day of hard work practice. Training in the gi, training kickboxing and on top of that if I’m doing like say what, running that day or some certain type of exercise, fitting in three meals is basically about all I can get. I can get like a protein shake and a meal replacement but it’s tough man. I can’t eat the same as if I… You need that time for that food to digest. Right now I’m walking around at 177 and I feel very comfortable at 177 and just dropping the six or seven pounds and you know just fast and strong.
I know that if I have a fight coming up where I’m gonna be fighting a guy; GSP, Koscheck, or Fitch, yeah, in my preparation for the fight I’m gonna be doing a lot of weightlifting, power lifting, kettle bells and eating a lot to try and get my weight up to like 185 before the (inaudible) starts. It’s all strategy but I feel very fast at 177. As long as I’m used to having 200lbers; Saulo’s like 190, Xande’s 210, and we have another guy Leo who’s a brown belt world champion and he weighs 235. So I got these guys on top of me with a gi and these guys are the best in the world at what they do; Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and that just takes me to a whole nother level. When I take off the gi it’s like “Go ahead. Try to hold me down”, “Try to do whatever you want”. When I take the gi off I’m a different machine. So the gi training for me has done leaps and measures of helping my ground game and cleaning up where I was sloppily because I was able to take advantage of my speed, and my ability to be slick, and my ability to punch. Now that I’ve taken those strengths away and actually focusing a lot on my technique and putting myself in a situation where I’m at… Where it’s very hard.
MMAyou.com: You’re set to face Luigi Fioravanti next, how is that fight going to go down?
Sanchez: Luigi Fioravanti, I think he’s got good takedown defense and it’s gonna be an interesting fight. I think that I’m gonna be able to push a high hard pace on him and control the fight and end up in the top position. One way or another end up in the top position or end up in the mount, or take his back, and from one of those positions end the fight. That’s what I do best and that’s what I plan on doing.
MMAyou.com: Would you like to avenge your losses to Fitch and Koscheck?
Sanchez: As far as avenging my losses, my two losses to Koscheck and Jon Fitch, yeah of course that is definitely something that I want to do. The number one thing on my agenda list is work my way to a title shot and if they’re not in that path to a title shot that’s fine with me. But yeah, I would love to rematch either of those guys any time, you know what I mean? To my benefit I would like to fight both of those guys as a champion. I would like to fight especially Koscheck or Fitch five rounds so we can play the game and really work. Go till we make something happen. I’m very different when it comes to, even in my training, I get better towards the end. Guys fatigue, I get stronger. That’s something that I was just God given blessed with and that’s something I would like to do to those guys. Fight those guys and fight em hard. I definitely would fight different strategies fight night.
I would know that fighting those two guys is something that you have to be very strategic because those two guys have no problem with eeking off a win by points. They’re both wrestlers and they like to win off points and I’m here to finish the fight. That’s what we’re working for.
MMAyou.com: In closing is there anything you would like to say to our readers?
Sanchez: Just expect an awesome Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale. Me and Luigi are gonna get it on and I hope to give you guys “Fight of the Night”.
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