Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez’s career could be described as the nickname that represents him. Sanchez has had a lot of success throughout his career but has been inconsistent and has never really found a niche for himself in the UFC.
Sanchez won the middleweight contest on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter with a final victory over Kenny Florian. Prior to joining the cast on The Ultimate Fighter, he was working at UPS. While balancing time between work and training, he developed the idea that he could become a UFC Champion.
Shortly after winning a contract with the UFC as a middleweight, he dropped down to welterweight and beat a few big names. Nick Diaz, Karo Parysian and Joe Riggs all fell to the Nightmare. Sanchez knocked Riggs out with a spectacular knee at UFN 7, the first fight to be held on a U.S. military base. Sanchez was suspended after the fight for three months for failing a post-fight drug test, but continued as a fan favorite nonetheless.
After a dynamic start to his welterweight career, he began to fight against upper echelon welterweights. At this point, his career began to take a turn for the worst. Nightmare lost two consecutive welterweight bouts to top contenders Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch.
After the two back-to-back decision losses, Sanchez chose to move to lightweight in 2008. The move marked Sanchez’s third weight class since entering the UFC in 2005.
Consistent with his dynamic start at welterweight, Sanchez won his first fight against Joe Stevenson and was awarded the fight of the night. Sanchez won the award despite bouts like Josh Koschek vs. Paulo Thiago, Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen, and Nate Marquart vs. Wilson Gouveia being on the same card. Nightmare continued his impressive start at lightweight by winning the fight of the year against the always exciting, Clay Guida.
The UFC was impressed with Sanchez’s consecutive wins at lightweight, and with such strong shows of heart in each bout, it was determined that he would face BJ Penn for the lightweight title at UFC 107. Sanchez fought hard through all five rounds and continued to do what he always had: compete. His drive and heart simply was not enough to overcome one of the sport’s best. BJ Penn opened up a massive gash on Sanchez’s hairline late in the fifth round with a head kick, and Sanchez was forced out of the bout.
Immediately after his loss to BJ Penn for the title, Sanchez bumped back up to welterweight. In his return to welterweight, Sanchez lost a decision to up and coming Brit, John Hathaway. He bounced back with a victory over Paulo Thiago and is heading into a bout with Martin Kampmann, one that will test his true presence in the welterweight division. In his quest for a division where he can consistently win, it looks like Sanchez will keep looking.
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