Lightweight Exodus? Diego Sanchez and Nate Diaz Both Moving Up, Welterweight Fight Between The Two Possible

It could be that lightweight champion BJ Penn (15-5-1)'s utter dominance atop the division has set one past and one potential future opponent, Diego Sanchez (21-3) and Nate Diaz (11-5) respectively, on the run-- or it could just be that putting yourself on a starvation diet for weeks on end is, as it turns out, not conducive to maximizing one's athletic performance. In any case, both fighters have recently announced their intention to fight at welterweight in the immediate future.

In the case of Nate Diaz, the temptation is to frame the situation as a case of something simply needing to change. After starting his octagon career with five straight victories, the proud resident of Stockton, CA has won just one fight in his last four outings. Nate, who at twenty-four years old is likely still growing into his adult frame, at least partly attributes his recent failings to the difficulty of making weight and has decided, as a result, to fight at welterweight at least part-time in the future. At the same time, Diaz has also recently expressed a complete lack of interest in fighting BJ Penn, so it's tough to say if that played into his decision.

In recent days it has been rumoured that Diaz' debut at welterweight would be as early as March 27th at UFC 111: st-Pierre vs. Hardy. According to MMAWeekly.com, Rory Markham (16-5), who hasn't fought since being knocked out by current welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy at UFC 95, was set to be Nate's opponent.

However, it has since come to light that Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez, fresh of one of the most one-sided drubbings in UFC title fight history at UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez, also intends to fight next at welterweight. In Diego's case, this decision can be spun as more of a failed experiment scenario because welterweight is the division in which he fought most of his career and it is where some of his most iconic bouts have taken place. Sanchez was 2-1 at lightweight in his last three fights, but apparently felt his body is better suited to 170lbs after all. Since this news was released, Sanchez has found the time to as call-out the two welterweights he has lost to in the past:

YES IM GOING BACK TO WELTERWEIGHT IM LOVING MY NEW DIET.I WANT KOS OR FITCH BUT ANY TOP GUY WILL DO JUST WANT TO GIVE U FANS THE BEST FIGHT

...as well as politely proposing a match with Nate Diaz via his Twitter account:

I agree you go robbed... i hear your going up too 170 too i would love to welcome you to welterweight lets make it happen.

Main Events Confirmed For December's UFC Events

Several long-rumored bouts have been confirmed by the UFC in the last 48-hours, including the main events for both their scheduled shows in December.

First up is The Ultimate Fighter 10: Finale on December 5th in Las Vegas. The main event will technically be the fight between the reality show's two finalists, but the primary attraction is a light-heavyweight showdown between, fast-rising suplex'er, Jon "Bones" Jones (9-0) and the world's deadliest deaf man, Matt Hamill (7-2). The winner of this bout will announce his presence among the legit contenders in the UFC's showcase division. Both men are strong wrestlers, with Jones' greatest asset being his unorthodox style, while Hamill's is his ox-like physical strength. "Kimbo Slice" (3-1) is also rumored to be fighting on this card, and watch out for Frankie "The Answer" Edgar (10-1) vs. Kurt "Batman" Pelligrino (14-4)

Then comes UFC 107 on December 12th in Memphis, which now officially features a lightweight title match between, the champ, B.J. "The Prodigy" Penn (14-5-1) and Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez (21-2). Both men have fought recently at welterweight, so it goes without saying that they're both massive 155'ers. Both are also jiu-jitsu experts. BJ's greatest advantage is his devastating striking, while Sanchez's is his tenacity and explosiveness. Other confirmed bouts for UFC 107 include Frank Mir (12-4) vs. Chieck Kongo (14-5-1) and Thiago Alves (16-6) vs. Paulo Thiago (11-1).

Is that last fight is a sportscaster's nightmare, or what?