Sanchez has mind, body in tune for UFC combat

While preparing to compete in one of the world's most violent sports, Diego Sanchez was looking like anything but a ferocious professional fighter.

During his open media workout, Sanchez appeared Thursday to be getting ready for a peace rally more than the main event of tonight's The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale card at the Palms.

Sanchez used the workout to run through a lengthy yoga routine in preparation to face Clay Guida in an Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight bout.

"Basically what I'm doing is preparing my body. So I'm always stretching and doing my yoga," Sanchez said. "It helps with your balance and flexibility, and, of course, what's the most important thing in life? You don't breathe, you don't live. Yoga is breath, and breath is life."

Sanchez isn't always so mellow. Nicknamed "Nightmare," the 27-year-old is one of the most feared fighters in the lightweight division, though this will be only his second fight at 155 pounds. Sanchez had competed at 170, but he decided his best chance at winning a UFC belt was to drop down.

"I'm the number one lightweight in the world. That's what I believe. It's the reason I came down to this weight class," Sanchez said. "I should have been fighting at this class the whole time, but I was happy (at 170). I could eat, and I could compete against the bigger guys. But the sport is changing, and everybody is cutting weight, so I had to make a change."

Not that he was overmatched at welterweight.

After winning Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter at middleweight (185), Sanchez entered the organization at 170 and reeled off five impressive victories before losing back-to-back bouts to two of the division's top contenders, Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch. Sanchez then won two more fights before deciding to move down.

He said he thinks the move has come at the right time as he pursues a title.

"I believe that God has given me perfect timing, and my destiny was not to be at 170. I was not ready to be the champion. I didn't have the self-control and the tools to be the champion," he said. "When you win that belt, that's when all the pressure starts. To hold the belt is a whole different thing than to win the belt, and I wasn't ready for that.

"Now that I'm 27 and I'm coming into my own as a man, I'm feeling like I have the discipline to become the champion and stay the champion."

Guida also has an eye on the lightweight crown. The 27-year-old has been known for delivering exciting fights but has won his last three to become a contender.

"I see myself at the top. Diego's in my way, and I'm going to get him out of the way as quick as I can," Guida said. "I don't care how it gets done, but I know after I beat him in a very dominating fashion, the UFC is going to look at me and be like, 'We want this kid to fight for the belt.' "

While Sanchez won the first season of the reality show, two more fighters will add themselves to the list of champions tonight as winners are determined in the lightweight and middleweight divisions.

Though the Season 9 format was United States vs. United Kingdom, two British lightweights -- Andre Winner and Ross Pearson -- will fight each other. Though the two are friends, Winner doesn't see it as a problem.

"I'm going in there to win," he said. "I think with both of our mentalities, it's not really a big thing to fight. We train hard and have sparred hard lots of times, so to me, we're just going to have a good flare-up and we'll still be friends afterward."

Demarques Johnson, the only American to make the finals, will take on Brit James Wilks for the welterweight crown. Also, Joe Stevenson and Nate Diaz will meet in a lightweight fight.

The 11-fight card begins at 3:50 p.m., with the broadcast beginning tape delayed on Spike TV (Cable 29) at 9.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.