UFC 95: Diego Sanchez to Possibly Face Joe Stevenson in First Bout at 155lbs

by Sam Cupitt on Dec 19, 2008 10:33 AM EST

This Fan Post was promoted to the front page by Nick Thomas.

The middleweight winner of the first season of Spike TV’s "The Ultimate Fighter" has verbally agreed to face Joe Stevenson at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 at the O2 Arena in London, according to a source close to the New Mexico native. Bout agreements have yet to be signed, however, said the source.

This is interesting matchmaking to me in that it appears Stevenson has now been relegated to gatekeeper status by UFC management. Usually after a TUF winner loses a bout they are given a tune-up to get their confidence back, but here I think Stevenson is just being thrown to Sanchez in order to catapult Sanchez into immediate title contention.

I have Sanchez over Stevenson in all areas with the only thing that could benefit Joe Daddy in my mind being a potential bad weight cut by Sanchez.

Should be an exciting bout nonetheless.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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No offense to Stevenson

No offense to Stevenson ,but I can’t concieve how he wins this fight…I mean I like the guy but realistically…

by evilstuntz on Dec 19, 2008 9:51 AM EST reply actions

Yeah, barring a a bad weight cut, I expect Sanchez to steamroll through Joe. Shouldn’t go past round one.

by pud333 on Dec 19, 2008 2:42 PM EST up reply actions

all areas

sanchez has better stand up and better wrestling but what dont you understand about the term “black belt” which stevenson is and to the best of my knowledge sanchez is not. but either way this will be a great fight

by bearcox13 on Dec 19, 2008 10:03 AM EST reply actions

true

Yeah he’s a black belt . But his last fight with Florian? He was climbing up that fence like a man trying to escape a lion pit. And completely left his neck open. I think Stevenson’s emotions are his weak suit ,and against a passionate fighter like Diego he’s probably going to be running on all cylinders. Some fighters like Diego can run off that emotion and use it to fuel them. Fighters like Stevenson seemed to be consumed. Plus Diego is most likely going to have vastly superior cardio. I mean Diego walks around at 176 thats less than Tyson Griffin walks around. Diego at 155 is a cardio freak.

by evilstuntz on Dec 19, 2008 10:14 AM EST up reply actions

They are really throwing Joe Daddy under the bus. That’s too bad but understandable after the way Penn and Florian both blew him out.
He’s clearly not at the very top of the division. Must be tough to be a top 10 fighter but not a top 5 fighter.

by Kid Nate on Dec 19, 2008 10:08 AM EST reply actions

Stevenson is just too small for this division.

by cyph on Dec 19, 2008 3:03 PM EST up reply actions

Poor Joe. That’s all I got.

by lbk on Dec 19, 2008 10:36 AM EST reply actions

Diego all the way

by EazyEismydad on Dec 19, 2008 10:48 AM EST reply actions

and now we have the “top tier” gatekeeper of the LW division.

by dbcb on Dec 19, 2008 12:04 PM EST reply actions

This fight makes no sense for Joe Stevenson what so ever. He was outpointed by KenFlo at all areas of the fight. Joe Stevenson seemingly to me is a high class one style fighter. If he can not get you in that joe stevenson front headlock, you are going to defeat him. Joe’s boxing is decent same with his wrestling, but nothing really stands out about him that will give Diego problems. With Stevenson losing to KenFlo why would you take this fight? I think Sherk vs. Diego should of happened.

by "Mr. NC-17" on Dec 19, 2008 12:23 PM EST reply actions

This is excellent, IMO, but I’m a fan of Sanchez.

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by Richard Wade on Dec 19, 2008 1:15 PM EST reply actions

Darn it and I really wanted to see Diego vs Thiago b/c they both would’ve done that hands clap preying thing while their names were announced…

by evilstuntz on Dec 19, 2008 4:25 PM EST reply actions

Love it..

For Diego’s first bout cutting to Lightweight, I think it’s a perfect matchup.

It’s much better than having Florian and Sherk call out Sanchez when they should be fighting each other… now that possibility is probable since BJ is tied up at the moment.

Editor-in-chief of MMA-Analyst.com

by Leland Roling on Dec 19, 2008 4:58 PM EST reply actions

I do not believe Sanchez was an undersized Welterweight. I wonder how effictive he is going to be after cutting all the weight. I think its going to be a hard cut for him and that should play to Stevenson’s advantage.

by MattTil on Dec 19, 2008 5:19 PM EST reply actions

Poor, poor Joe Daddy.

by Derek Suboticki on Dec 19, 2008 6:02 PM EST reply actions

Joe Daddy is a good 1st 155 bout for Diego but....

I was hoping to see Nick Diaz come back to the UFC and fight a rematch with Diego at 170. Guess I’ll have to settle for a Diego vs. Ken-Flo rematch somewhere down the line. As I have stated before, I am totally on they Ken-Flo bandwagon at this point and I think he takes Diego in the rematch.

by ANance on Dec 19, 2008 6:13 PM EST reply actions