Diego Sanchez “feeling the pure ecstasy of having a war”

By Dann Stupp

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Say what you want about his controversial decision victory; Diego Sanchez said he proved he’s got plenty of heart.

In the headliner of Thursday’s UFC on Versus 3 event at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., Sanchez (23-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) bested Martin Kampmann (17-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) on points in a three-round slugfest.

“I’m feeling the pure ecstasy of having a war,” Sanchez said after the Versus-televised fight.

“I showed them once again that I’ve got a lot of heart and that I’m going to drop my balls in there,” he said. “I’m going to give the fans what they want to see. That’s the bottom line. That was my 20th fight here in the UFC octagon (including his championship run on ‘The Ultimate Fighter 1,’ and what a way to showcase my 20th fight than with a good war? I got the [win], and that’s what matters.”

Sanchez, who discussed a ground-oriented game plan in nearly every pre-fight interview, failed in all but one takedown attempt. Most, in fact, were clearly telegraphed and easily snuffed out. Additionally, Kampmann picked him apart with expert footwork and counter-strikes in a bloody first round.

Despite Sanchez’s gritty performance, which included fighting for more than two rounds with a busted lip, MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) scored the fight 29-28 for Kampmann. And based on the chorus of boos that followed the official outcome (Sanchez via scores of 29-28 on all three judges’ scorecards), most of the fans did, too.

 

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