Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez returned to the UFC’s welterweight division this past Saturday night, but he received a very rude awakening upon his return. Rising star John Hathaway dominated Sanchez, and the former Ultimate Fighter winner never looked comfortable against the bigger Hathaway.
UFC President Dana White, among many, feels that Sanchez is best suited for the company’s lightweight division. He made his feelings well known at the post-fight press conference following UFC 114 on Saturday.
“I don’t think Diego belongs at 170. I think it’s easier to be at 170. He looked soft. He looked real lethargic and slow and heavy. [One] fifty-five, Diego. Fifty-five. He’s a tough guy. I’m not his manager, but I think he should stay at 155. Listen, a loss to B.J. Penn doesn’t mean you go back up to 170. It means you stay at 155 and you do what Kenny Florian did. You stay in there and keep grinding it out and beating the top guys, and you get back in line and work your way up to the top again. Diego does not look good at 170.”
White has never been one to mix his words. It will be interesting to see if Sanchez listens to his boss and drops back down to the lightweight division or remains as a welterweight. Sanchez had gone 2-1 as a lightweight, winning fights over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida, but losing to then champion BJ Penn at UFC 107 in December.
