i think sanchez could give bj a very stern test, his standup has improved by leaps and bounds and his pace alone will give anyone issues
Diego has looked like one mean mofo in recent fights. He's gotta be next in line for a shot at Penn. Penn by late submission.
If UFC 101 showed me anything is how really dominating Penn is at Lightweight. I would pick Florian over Sanchez. I would love to see Penn fight Diego, but I think it would be a fairly easy chess match for Penn and we would see Diego get subbed fairly routinely around round 2 or 3.
Diego Sanchez is animal with a very fast pace. But I remember him being befuddled on his feet against Josh Koscheck. Koscheck is an improved striker, but he ain't BJ Penn. I can see Penn's superior stand-up making Diego tentative, which will kill his pace and take away the one advantage he has. I lost the love for BJ after the GSP bout, but the dude is just great at 155. There's no debating it. At that weight, he's in a different league. Seriously, Florian is an accomplished Jiu-Jitsu black belt and BJ passed his guard and mounted him with relative ease. I don't know that there is a scarier situation in MMA than having BJ Penn on top of you. The fight is basically over. Florian may as well have tapped once BJ completed the take down. He was done.
I have not been impressed with Diego at 155. Joe Stevenson took him to a decision, Stevenson was destroyed by Florian and Penn. He also barely got by Clay the Blanket Guida. I really expected him to be able to over power those guys, he just seems weaker at 155 to me.
Agreed. BJ is on a different level but I do think Diego is one of the toughest fights out there for him.
true but diegos standup has gotten alot better, he looked real good against guida i think BJ wins but it might be a good scrap if diego can push the pace, diego is active from the bottom (he cut up guida with elbows from the bottom i believe) so it shouldnt be a boring lay and pray fight if diego is on bottom
Penn has cleaned it out at 155. I think he does need to fight Diego. They could make it BJ's next challenge and I don't think anyone would bitch.
Sharp elbows or not, if Diego ends up on the bottom with Penn, the fight is over. You can be aggressive with elbows from the bottom with Guida. With Penn you have to be too worried about the dude wrapping one of his Stretch Armstrong limbs around your neck.
So wait, you guys are actually impressed with Diego at 155 so far? Joe Daddy and Guida? Those fights impressed you guys?
I really think that Diego Sanchez is caught between weights. He is too big to be campaigning at 155, hence he gives up strength....and too small for 170. Strange
Sanchez sucks. His has terrible stand up, so he can't beat BJ standing up. His ju jisu is good but no where near BJ's. Just a case of what round BJ decides to KO him in.
Probably so. But even though Maynard is the only one to defeat him....I think Frankie Edgar deserves a shot more than anyone.
Gray Maynard, Frankie Edgar, Tyson Griffin. When he beats those 3, he'll have cleaned out the division. TFK
