UFC on FUEL 1 primer
A win over Diego Sanchez Wednesday will have Jake Ellenberger knocking on the door of a welterweight title shot
MMA Beat
By Mike Chiappetta
NBCSports.com
updated 4:19 p.m. ET Feb. 13, 2012
No one really saw Jake Ellenberger coming. Sure, the Nebraska native opened his pro career with 12 straight wins, but the list was against a collection of mostly unrecognizables, nothing that would cause any hysteria. As his opponent caliber improved, his early results were a bit uneven. Losses to Jay Hieron and Derrick Noble, and wins over Pat Healy and Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons still put into question exactly where Ellenberger would fit into the upper tier of welterweights.
By the time he got to the UFC, he was 21-4, an excellent record by any measure, but he arrived with no hype and little in the way of expectation. After all, Ellenberger had a wrestling background, but it was only one year of action at a Division II school. He seemed proficient at jiu-jitsu, but was only a purple belt. And though his resume was heavy on knockouts, he had no extensive background in the striking arts.
In short order, we found out he was for real, going three hard rounds with the well-respected Carlos Condit in his octagon debut. He followed that up with TKO stoppage wins over veterans Mike Pyle and John Howard, and suddenly, he was on the radar. When he obliterated former No. 1 contender Jake Shields in 53 seconds at last September’s Fight Night event, Ellenberger truly arrived.
A win over Diego Sanchez at UFC on FUEL on Wednesday will have Ellenberger knocking on the door of a welterweight title shot. Ironically, it could also set up a rematch with Condit, who is currently the division’s interim champion in the absence of linear titleholder Georges St-Pierre.
Main Event
Jake Ellenberger (26-5) vs. Diego Sanchez (23-4)
Location
Omaha Civic Auditorium - Omaha, Nebraska
Home Game
Some fighters love fighting in front of a home audience, others hate it. On one hand, there are familiar faces in the crowd, and most of the thousands are on your side; on the other, the pressure can be tremendous, and the attention can be crushing. Ellenberger grew up in Omaha, attended high school a 15-mile drive from the city’s Civic Auditorium, and went to college at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. To say this is a homecoming would be an understatement. How it will affect him, though, is anyone’s guess.
Extra Work
It’s been said that the Ellenberger-Sanchez fight will possibly determine the No. 1 contender, but Sanchez may have more work to do than just win on Wednesday. Remember, he lost his return fight at welterweight before winning his last two -- and even his most recent win over Martin Kampmann was controversial. So even with a dominant performance against Ellenberger, Sanchez will likely need another win or two before he start getting ready to fight for a belt.
Heavy Things
Stefan Struve has won three of his last four fights. The one knock on him has been having an issue with rugged standup opponents. You could forgive the knockout loss in his octagon debut against future UFC champ Junior dos Santos, as Struve was just 21 years old and green. But subsequent KO losses to Roy Nelson and Travis Browne caused many to question how far Struve can go. His most recent win over Pat Barry was a positive step in the right direction, and a victory over Dave “Pee Wee” Herman would go a long way towards convincing the doubters Struve has what it takes. One thing he’s done in hopes of improving his durability is adding muscle. Once a thin 235-pounder, the 6-foot-11 Struve is now up to about 265 pounds.
Rid of the Jitters
Heavyweight Stipe Miocic is still unbeaten, a perfect 7-0 after a decision win over Joey Beltran at UFC 136. That was the first time Miocic hadn’t finished an opponent. Given his boxing and wrestling credentials, Miocic is considered a blue-chip prospect, and even though he’s facing another unbeaten fighter in Philip DeFries, an impressive performance is nearly mandatory this time around. Miocic isn’t just expected to win, he’s expected to finish.
Great Expectations
T.J. Dillashaw came into the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter as the odd’s-on favorite to win it all. He looked good throughout the season, flashing strong standup to go with a seasoned wrestling game. But it all came crashing down in his official octagon debut when he was knocked out by John Dodson. His return fight comes now against Walel Watson, a tall, rangy fighter who has shown a good mix of striking and submissions. If Dillashaw loses, he could go from TUF favorite to out of the UFC in two fights.
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