Diego Sanchez says November featherweight cut was too much, moving back to lightweight for next UFC bout

By Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

10-year UFC vet Diego Sanchez became just the second fighter to compete in four separate weight classes in the Octagon in his last fight in November, but that featherweight matchup with Ricardo Lamas is a one-off.

Sanchez revealed on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that the weight-cut into UFC Fight Night 78 was too hard on his body, and he’ll be heading back up for his next matchup.

His decision loss to Lamas came in his 22nd fight in the Octagon, dropping him to 14-8 in the organization. The original winner of The Ultimate Fighter and one-time title challenger is the only fighter from that original season still active in the UFC, while Josh Koscheck in Bellator the only other active fighter period from that season. The man he defeated in that first Ultimate Fighter finals bout, Kenny Florian, is the only other man to have competed in four separate UFC weight classes.

Penick’s Analysis: Sanchez’s UFC tenure continues because of his status as the first TUF winner and the fact that he’s not been against the UFC to the level Koscheck wound up becoming down the stretch. Still, it’s some fortuitous and flat-out wrong decisions that have kept it going as well, as he should very well be 0-7 in his last seven fights. Still, he wants to continue fighting, and the UFC seems willing to oblige him for as long as he feels that way.

[Photo (c) Joe Camporeale via USA Today Sports]

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