UFC 107 Penn vs. Sanchez

Event: UFC 107 Penn vs. Sanchez Date: December 12, 2009 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Venue: FedEx Forum Broadcast: Pay-per-view UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn faces possibly his toughest test at 155 pounds in the relentless Diego Sanchez at UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez, live from FedEx Forum in Memphis on Saturday, December 12th. Penn is looking to defend his title for the third time, while Sanchez is getting his first shot at the belt. This will be their first meeting.

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The fight will serve as the main event on a very strong UFC 107 card that is also expected to feature, Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo in a heavyweight clash, and Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago in a fight between two Top 10 welterweights (and two Brazilians named Thiago).

Diego will be looking break the recent curse of Ultimate Fighter TV show alums faltering on the big stage as Kenny Florian was beaten soundly by Penn last month. Penn is looking to defend his title for the third time, while Sanchez is getting his first shot at the belt. When these two meet in the center of the Octagon, get ready to witness two of the best grapplers and dangerous strikers in the 155 pounds division.

Diego Sanchez has reinvented himself as a unstoppable cardio machine, that won’t quit moving forward until he wears the UFC championship belt around his waist. The 27-year-old Albuquerque, N.M. native with the 23-2 professional record is on a four-fight win streak and is 2-0 since dropping down to lightweight with exciting wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida. This will mark Sanchez’s first title fight, and if the former welterweight, who won his first 19 professional fights, tops Penn, he will join Matt Serra, Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans as the fourth The Ultimate Fighter™ show winner to earn a UFC title.

Plus, in the UFC 107 co-main event, two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) returns to the Octagon to begin his quest for a third title, and to move back up the ladder in one of the sport’s toughest divisions. With finishing wins in three of his last four fights against names such as Brock Lesnar, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Antoni Hardonk, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace with the 12-4 record will need all of his elite level experience to thwart the devastating attack of his next opponent.

MAIN CARD

* Champ B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez (for lightweight title)
* Cheick Kongo vs. Frank Mir
* Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce
* Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida
* Paul Buentello vs. TBA*

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia
* Shane Nelson vs. Matt Wiman
* Ricardo Funch vs. Johny Hendricks
* Lucio Linhares vs. Rousimar Palhares
* Edgar Garcia vs. DaMarques Johnson
* Kevin Burns vs. T.J. Grant

Quick UFC 107 Main Card Results

BJ Penn def. Diego Sanchez via fifth-round TKO
Frank Mir def. Cheick Kongo via first-round submission
Jon Fitch def. Mike Pierce via unanimous decision
Kenny Florian def. Clay Guida via second-round submission
Stefan Struve def. Paul Buentello via majority decision

Undercard

Alan Belcher def. Wilson Gouveia via first-round TKO
Matt Wiman def. Shane Nelson via unanimous decision
Johny Hendricks def. Ricardo Funch via unanimous decision
Rousimar Palhares beat Lucio Linhares by second-round submission
DaMarques Johnson beat Edgar Garcia by first-round submission
TJ Grant def. Kevin Burns by first-round TKO

The Ultimate Fighting Championships began in 1993. It redefined what martial arts was all about. It set in motion, the battleground for the karate community, where fighters from all backgrounds could come together and test their art, mano o mano, man vs man against the best, all trained in different arts. Set aside was the facade, the smoke screens and the mystique behind each art and now naked before you was the basic street fighter! More UFC Fighting History

Fighting Styles

Boxing: The skill or sport of fighting with the fists usually with padded leather gloves. Refermenu to as the "sweet science", boxers use elaborate foot maneuvers and quick jabs to mount an offense. FreeStyle Wrestling: Possibly the worlds oldest sport. Contestants struggle hand to hand attempting to throw or take down their opponent without striking blows. Some of the many styles of wrestling are Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and catch as catch can.

Kickboxing: Sportive martial art combining boxing punches and martial arts kicks. Many different styles with different rules exist such as Muay Thai, Full Contact Karate, and Asian Rules Fighting.

Full list of UFC fighting styles here

Weight divisions

UFC Fighting Terms

Choke Holds: Any hold that impairs the flow of blood or oxygen to the brain. There are many chokes including the rear naked choke, the guillotine, and the triangle choke.

Head-Butt: Using the head to strike the opponent.

KO: Knock out. A fighter is knocked down and unconscious.

Takedown: Usually occurs when a grappler takes his opponent to the ground.

Full list of UFC fighting terms here