UFC fighters reflect on first Fuel TV Fight Night
Read what they had to say.
UFC on FUEL TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger Postfight Show Notes
The following are quotes from the “UFC Postfight Show on FUEL TV.”
Jay Glazer and UFC Vet Brian Stann hosted the show, while Ariel Helwani conducted exclusive postfight interviews backstage. Here’s some of what was said:
“UFC Postfight Show on FUEL TV” Analyst Brian Stann on Sanchez vs. Ellenberger: “Just when Jake thought he had Sanchez figured out, Sanchez came back. Sanchez has the ability to stop the takedowns. Sanchez is never out of a fight. He’s impossible to shake and he does damage. The X factor in this fight was Ellenberger’s power. He was the stronger, more powerful athlete in this fight. Let’s have them fight again.”
Stann on the hometown advantage for Ellenberger: “Ellenberger heard the crowd tonight and we could see it in his actions. That’s a huge adrenalin rush for him.”
Exclusive interview with Jake Ellenberger on fighting in his hometown: “It was electric in here. It was more overwhelming than I thought it’d be. It was hard to stay focused, to keep my strategy. The place was going nuts.”
Ellenberger on training for Sanchez: “Diego was extremely hard to train for. I knew I couldn’t just back up and had to stay on the offensive.”
Ellenberger on his next fight: “I’d love to get a rematch with Condit. My goal is to win the world title. I still have some things to work on - small things like positions. I’ve got to go back and train and practice.”
Exclusive interview with Diego Sanchez: “It was a great challenge and a great effort. I had a lot of obstacles before this fight. I had a severely sprained ankle before the fight. But I wasn’t going to pull out of the fight. I just didn’t have the proper training. I worked around the injury. I couldn’t sprint and run.”
Sanchez on his tactics in the third round: “I went for the stoppage. I should have gone for the choke out. I had him flattened out and usually with that pace of punches, the ref will stop the fight, but he was showing enough life so the ref wouldn’t stop it.”
Sanchez on his next fight: “I’m going to take the fights that propel me to the biggest stage. The 155 weight class isn’t out of the question. I’m going to heal up, talk to my coaches and managers and Dana White and see what happens.”
Ariel Helwani on the Welterweight division: “A year ago we thought the Welterweight division was dry, but now it’s great. Georges St-Pierre isn’t coming back until October or November. We could have Jake Ellenberger fight Carlos Condit again. The first time they fought was very controversial, but Jake has grown a lot. The UFC could put that fight with Condit vs. Ellenberger to bed, then get to the title fight with GSP. Condit can’t sit out for another ten months.”
Stann on a potential Ellenberger vs. Condit fight: “Ellenberger doesn’t want to fight a fight like this [one he just fought]. Jake should take it to the ground against Condit. Carlos is one of the best kickers out there. Jake has added a brutal ground and pound element to his game. He showed the composure of a true veteran. He’s won six fights in a row in this division. It’s tough just winning two in a row in the UFC!”
