170-Pounders Ellenberger, Sanchez to Headline UFC on Fuel 1 in Omaha

A winner of five consecutive contests, Ellenberger (Pictured) posted a trio of wins in 2011. After closing out 2010 by stopping John Howard, “The Juggernaut” edged Carlos Eduardo Rocha by split decision in February before knocking out Sean Pierson at UFC 129 on April 30. Most recently, the Nebraskan stopped former Strikeforce middleweight champion and pound-for-pound stalwart Jake Shields, finishing their UFC Fight Night 25 clash in just 53 seconds.

Sanchez, 29, rides back-to-back wins into his showdown with Ellenberger. Following a failed bid at the lightweight title, “The Dream” returned to the UFC’s welterweight ranks last year only to be outworked by well-rounded Brit John Hathaway. Since rejoining Jackson’s MMA, Sanchez has showed renewed resolve in his last two outings, gutting out a hard-fought decision over Paulo Thiago before edging Martin Kampmann in a bloody and contentious unanimous verdict at UFC Live 3 in March.