By Alex Mattis
Seeing as most of us are still wrapped up in the Nick Diaz-Carlos Condit decision controversy and subsequent smoke that clouded the aftermath, it is perfectly understandable that we have forgotten there is a free UFC event just around the corner. This Wednesday, the UFC will present its first full live event on Fuel TV. While UFC on Fuel TV 1 has a solid under card with such bouts as Stefan Struve Vs. Dave Herman and Aaron Simpson Vs. Ronny Marks, the main event holds great stakes for the welterweight division. The first ever Ultimate Fighter winner, Diego Sanchez will attempt to derail the welterweight division’s freight train, Jake Ellenberger.
Jake Ellenberger debuted in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in September of 2009 when he was baptized by fire against Carlos Condit. It was one of the best fights of the year, but a split decision loss for Ellenberger. Since then, Jake Ellenberger has gone undefeated in the Octagon; racking up impressive wins over Mike Pyle, John Howard, and Sean Pierson. This past September, Ellenberger gained the biggest win of his career when he put away former title contender, Jake Shields in just 53 seconds (Just for the record: Fight Hub TV totally called that one). “The Juggernaut” has been lying in wait ever since and will be looking to build upon his hot-streak with this fight.
It has been almost a year since we last saw Ellenberger’s opponent, Diego Sanchez, compete in the UFC. The last time we saw “The Dream,” he was a bloody mess and was awarded a controversial decision win over Martin Kampmann. It was a very important win for the career direction of Sanchez, but a win over Ellenberger would be astronomical.
The approach Diego Sanchez takes to this fight will be most interesting. Sanchez’s chin has been in a clear recession for the past few years, and with Ellenberger packing everything he has into every shot, it will be quite fascinating to see what game plan Sanchez implements. It is hard to bet against Ellenberger, but Sanchez is not an easy obstacle. If Ellenberger wins this bout, it has to put him in line for a crack at UFC gold. If Sanchez pulls it out, it will reassert him in the mix.
Fuel TV is running a free preview promotion this week… C’mon, there is no excuse to miss this!!
