Diego Sanchez is set to make his debut in his fourth different UFC weight class.
Sanchez (25-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC), who won “The Ultimate Fighter 1? as a middleweight and eventually made an unsuccessful lightweight title bid, is heading to 145 pounds for a fight with former title challenger Ricardo Lamas (15-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 79.
UFC officials today announced the bout.
UFC Fight Night 79 takes place Nov. 21 at Monterrey Arena in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The main card is expected to air on FOX Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
Sanchez, who recently discussed his planned move to featherweight as a way to open new fight opportunities, is on the mend following his collarbone surgery. Stuck in a 1-3 skid with losses to the likes of Jake Ellenberger and Gilbert Melendez, he rebounded in Juny 2014 with a split-decision victory over Ross Pearson (though every major media outlet scored it for Pearson, according to MMADecisions.com).
He now meets Lamas, who rebounded from an early 2014 title loss to champ Jose Aldo with back-to-back wins over Hacran Dias and Dennis Bermudez. However, back in April, the 33-year-old WEC vet, who’s ranked No. 6 in the NOS Energy Drink MMA featherweight rankings, suffered a TKO loss to recent title challenger Chad Mendes.
The latest UFC Fight Night 79 card includes:
For more on UFC Fight Night 79, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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