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Diego Sanchez has been one of my favourite fighters on the UFC roster since he came through TUF. He's always been a fan favourite and you can guarantee the he will come to fight.
I'm wondering though, what kind of position he will be in if he loses to Ross Pearson on June 7th? There's a lot of things to think about.
It's quite clear that the UFC like him as a fighter, especially after his fight of the year with Gilbert Melendez. He is pretty much impossible to stop and will fight through any barrage to land his shots, and for that reason whenever I hear the phrase 'biting down on the mouthpiece', he is the fighter that comes to mind.
Considering that he has been a long standing asset to the UFC and has helped to line their pockets on a number of occasions, the thought of cutting him would be a lot less appealing to the UFC brass compared to the cases of Fitch and Shields who lost favour with their bosses because of their styles and the fact that the organisation didn't think they were deserving of their 'high' wages.
However, his record in the past 8 fights is 3W - 5L. A loss to pearson would make this 3W - 6L in his past 9 with a 3 fight skid. Not a great record and to look at it without the context of what kind of fighter Diego Sanchez is and what he represents in the organisation, disregarding the name, you would probably think that it's time for the pink slip.
Yes, his style is super exciting! But we only really see him in fights that WOW us when his opponent chooses to engage him in his style of fight. Now that he has been around the block a few times, anyone facing him in the future is now able to easily mould their gameplan to counter his style and pick him apart. They know they aren't going to finish him but they can see pretty clearly how they can outpoint him round by round.
He isn't floating at the top of the division anymore - a division so frequently called the 'sharktank' by pundits and punters alike and so he must either play one of two roles if he sticks around:
- gatekeeper - he really is a good test for up and comers who have probably never faced such intensity in their lives. If they can get past Sanchez then you know they have the ability to keep their head when a fight gets wild. he can definitely play this role but in this case, how much are the UFC willing to pay for a gatekeeper? Sanchez is on hot money compared to most in his division and well it doesn't really seem to fit too well if he is fighting up and comers.
- Classic legend (big draw) - He has a name and style that all fans know and most love. Keeping him around to fight other such names would be a good move for the cash money business side of the organisation. Also it can be a treat for the fans to see such match-ups. While they may have no bearing on title landscapes they can always be super entertaining and fun to watch. The match-up with Pearson is a bit of this in my opinion. two big names and exciting styles meet where entertainment will be the main goal instead of a picture of possible contention. In this role he is definitely more worth for money.
It all depends on how the fight goes down in my opinion. If Pearson shows once again that a pretty simple strategy can be used to outpoint Sanchez while handling his aggression - it might not be a happy aftermath for Sanchez. If the fight is a fight of the night then he will definitely not be cut - I'm sure of that. Then if he does get cut, would you like to see him in Bellator? Throwing Sanchez into their roster would be great for Bellator. Lot's of fun fights and a bit more spice for their lightweight division. Though I get the feeling that the UFC would have nightmares at the thought of handing Bellator such a gem, even if it is a little scratched here and there. Kind of like having a really nice watch that you don't wear anymore but won't give away because you don't want to see it looking good on anyone else's wrist.
of course if he wins the fight then we don't need to worry about any of this... until his next fight. Sanchez is a good case to talk about as there are a lot of interesting points to consider given his status in the sport and position in the organisation. I'm sure there are more points that I haven't covered so let's hear what you think ma bredren!
Once again I would just like to add that Sanchez is still one of my favourite fighters and whatever happens with his career from this point onwards I will always support him and tune in for his fights. Truly one of a kind!
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Diego Sanchez has been one of my favourite fighters on the UFC roster since he came through TUF. He's always been a fan favourite and you can guarantee the he will come to fight.
I'm wondering though, what kind of position he will be in if he loses to Ross Pearson on June 7th? There's a lot of things to think about.
It's quite clear that the UFC like him as a fighter, especially after his fight of the year with Gilbert Melendez. He is pretty much impossible to stop and will fight through any barrage to land his shots, and for that reason whenever I hear the phrase 'biting down on the mouthpiece', he is the fighter that comes to mind.
Considering that he has been a long standing asset to the UFC and has helped to line their pockets on a number of occasions, the thought of cutting him would be a lot less appealing to the UFC brass compared to the cases of Fitch and Shields who lost favour with their bosses because of their styles and the fact that the organisation didn't think they were deserving of their 'high' wages.
However, his record in the past 8 fights is 3W - 5L. A loss to pearson would make this 3W - 6L in his past 9 with a 3 fight skid. Not a great record and to look at it without the context of what kind of fighter Diego Sanchez is and what he represents in the organisation, disregarding the name, you would probably think that it's time for the pink slip.
Yes, his style is super exciting! But we only really see him in fights that WOW us when his opponent chooses to engage him in his style of fight. Now that he has been around the block a few times, anyone facing him in the future is now able to easily mould their gameplan to counter his style and pick him apart. They know they aren't going to finish him but they can see pretty clearly how they can outpoint him round by round.
He isn't floating at the top of the division anymore - a division so frequently called the 'sharktank' by pundits and punters alike and so he must either play one of two roles if he sticks around:
- gatekeeper - he really is a good test for up and comers who have probably never faced such intensity in their lives. If they can get past Sanchez then you know they have the ability to keep their head when a fight gets wild. he can definitely play this role but in this case, how much are the UFC willing to pay for a gatekeeper? Sanchez is on hot money compared to most in his division and well it doesn't really seem to fit too well if he is fighting up and comers.
- Classic legend (big draw) - He has a name and style that all fans know and most love. Keeping him around to fight other such names would be a good move for the cash money business side of the organisation. Also it can be a treat for the fans to see such match-ups. While they may have no bearing on title landscapes they can always be super entertaining and fun to watch. The match-up with Pearson is a bit of this in my opinion. two big names and exciting styles meet where entertainment will be the main goal instead of a picture of possible contention. In this role he is definitely more worth for money.
It all depends on how the fight goes down in my opinion. If Pearson shows once again that a pretty simple strategy can be used to outpoint Sanchez while handling his aggression - it might not be a happy aftermath for Sanchez. If the fight is a fight of the night then he will definitely not be cut - I'm sure of that. Then if he does get cut, would you like to see him in Bellator? Throwing Sanchez into their roster would be great for Bellator. Lot's of fun fights and a bit more spice for their lightweight division. Though I get the feeling that the UFC would have nightmares at the thought of handing Bellator such a gem, even if it is a little scratched here and there. Kind of like having a really nice watch that you don't wear anymore but won't give away because you don't want to see it looking good on anyone else's wrist.
of course if he wins the fight then we don't need to worry about any of this... until his next fight. Sanchez is a good case to talk about as there are a lot of interesting points to consider given his status in the sport and position in the organisation. I'm sure there are more points that I haven't covered so let's hear what you think ma bredren!
Once again I would just like to add that Sanchez is still one of my favourite fighters and whatever happens with his career from this point onwards I will always support him and tune in for his fights. Truly one of a kind!
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Statistics: Posted by Carlosthedwarf — May 28. 2014, 07:07 — Replies 0 — Views 11
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