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UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez When: December 12, 2009 Where: FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee How: PPV UFC 107 takes place on Saturday, December 12, at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Lightweight king BJ Penn will headline the pay-per-view broadcast as he will be defending his title against top contender Diego Sanchez. |
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Sanchez earned the right to fight for the lightweight title by defeating Clay Guida in June, in a fight that the UFC later declared one of the 10 best in the promotion’s history. Penn last defended his title in August, when he beat Kenny Florian at UFC 101.
Unbeaten at 155 pounds for nearly eight years with nine finishes in his 10 lightweight victories, BJ Penn (fighting out of Hilo, Hawaii) has ruled the 155-pound division with an iron fist, finishing top contenders Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk, and Kenny Florian along the way. The refocused 30-year-old lightweight champion and former welterweight champion came into his title defense against Florian at August’s UFC 101 in the best shape of his brilliant career, and Penn (14-5-1) combined a flawless game plan and world-class conditioning to submit his fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a rear naked choke in the fourth round of his third fight in 2009. Now the champion’s conditioning will be put to the ultimate test when he faces the new No. 1 contender.
Sanchez, 2-0 at 155 pounds and 21-2 overall, is coming off a split decision over Clay Guida in June. Sanchez, the first contract winner of The Ultimate Fighter, has only had two fights at lightweight following several years as a welterweight. But Sanchez’s 8-2 record in UFC as a 170-pounder gave him instant credibility as a top lightweight. His status was further bolstered by wins over Guida and Stevenson. Sanchez is really an intelligent, hard-working, creative fighter and that’s part of what makes him so dangerous in the UFC.
The UFC also confirmed previously reported matchup pitting Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo. Both Mir and Kongo will be looking to right their respective ships after suffering devastating losses in their last bouts. Mir was smashed by current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar in the second round of their main event bout at UFC 100 in July, while Kongo was dominated for fifteen minutes by Cain Velasquez at UFC 99 in June.
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 Results of UFC 107
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
Under card
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
