UFC 107: BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez - Dec. 12, 2009

**PizDoff** · Posted On: 11/23/2009 1:33pm

UFC 107: BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez
Dec. 12, 2009
FedEx Forum
Memphis, TN

Unbeaten at 155 pounds for nearly eight years, BJ Penn has ruled the lightweight division with an iron fist, finishing top contenders Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk, and Kenny Florian along the way. “The Prodigy” will face a challenger as willing as he is to leave it all on the line in The Ultimate Fighter® season one winner Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez, who has reinvented himself as a relentless cardio machine that won’t stop moving forward until he wears the UFC championship belt around his waist.

Plus, former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir returns to the Octagon to begin his quest for a third title, and to move back up the ladder in one of the sport’s toughest divisions. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace will have to survive the ferocious striking attack of French contender Cheick Kongo, who knows that a win over a superstar like Mir will move him closer to his first title opportunity.

UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez – Saturday, December 12th, live on Pay-Per-View from Memphis, Tennessee.

BJ "The Prodigy" Penn vs Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez - Lightweight Title Fight
Frank Mir vs Cheick Kongo
Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce
Kenny "KenFlo" Florian vs Clay "The Carpenter" Guida
Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello vs Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve
Alan "The Talent" Belcher vs Wilson Gouveia
Matt "Handsome" Wiman vs Shane "Sugar" Nelson
Johny Hendricks vs Ricardo Funch
Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares vs Lucio Linhares
DaMarques Johnson vs Edgar Garcia
Kevin Burns vs TJ Grant

This is Paul Buentello's first fight back in the UFC since 2006, since then he's been successful in Strikeforce and Affliction.

Picks?

**Kentucky Fried Chokin** · Posted On: 11/23/2009 1:49pm

BJ "The Prodigy" Penn vs Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez - Lightweight Title Fight
Frank Mir vs Cheick Kongo
Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce
Kenny "KenFlo" Florian vs Clay "The Carpenter" Guida
Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello vs Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve
Alan "The Talent" Belcher vs Wilson Gouveia
Matt "Handsome" Wiman vs Shane "Sugar" Nelson
Johny Hendricks vs Ricardo Funch
Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares vs Lucio Linhares
DaMarques Johnson vs Edgar Garcia
Kevin Burns vs TJ Grant

I don't see how Sanchez is going to do any better than Stevenson.

**patfromlogan** · Posted On: 11/23/2009 2:09pm

Originally Posted by Kentucky Fried Chokin

[B]

I don't see how Sanchez is going to do any better than Stevenson.

Bathe in oil?

**Shawarma** · Posted On: 11/23/2009 2:15pm

BJ will gobble up Sanchez, IMO. I don't see what Sanchez brings that BJ hasn't faced before in larger quantities.

More interested in the Mir/Kongo fight - classic jiujitsu vs striker here, although Mir hits hard too. Mir will win by ground rape, obviously, but it should be fun to watch.

**Dr. Sleepless** · Posted On: 11/23/2009 2:21pm

Kongo will win by knee to the balls.

**ADM** · Posted On: 11/23/2009 5:14pm

I'm not writing off Sanchez, if he comes in with a better game plan then Florian (sigh) then I can see him pushing the fight beyond BJ's cardio and may be able to win it from there.

If not, then striking, ground game, etc is won by BJ hands down.

**v1y** · Posted On: 11/23/2009 6:48pm

the only way bj loses to diego is if he doesn't train at all, or is badly ill/injured.

**elipson** · Posted On: 11/23/2009 8:12pm

Interesting fights.

I like Diego but I don't think will beat BJ. Diego needs to turn it into a clinch match and wear down BJ like GSP did; but i doubt he will.

I hope TJ does well. Always great to see young canucks in the big show, and he has some slick jits. One of the guys at my gym beat him via decision a few years ago at KOTC, but TJ was a class act before and after the fight.

**selfcritical** · Posted On: 11/23/2009 8:22pm

Originally Posted by v1y

the only way bj loses to diego is if he doesn't train at all, or is badly ill/injured.

Or gasses, or is positionally dominated by a superior wrestler.

**Wolf** · Posted On: 11/23/2009 9:10pm

Originally Posted by ADM

I'm not writing off Sanchez, if he comes in with a better game plan then Florian (sigh) then I can see him pushing the fight beyond BJ's cardio and may be able to win it from there.

If not, then striking, ground game, etc is won by BJ hands down.

Florian actually had a really good game plan. He tried to do what GSP did, which is force BJ to fight the clinch against the cage until his arms wear out and he can't stop the takedown. The problem was, BJ learned from his fight against GSP and worked out his arms.