Pressure Cooker: Sanchez Calm Before UFC 107 Storm

He represents perhaps the last significant threat to UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn’s reign, but Diego Sanchez claims he feels no additional pressures heading into his five-round title fight with the gifted Hawaiian.

Pushed as the promotion’s top two lightweights, they will meet in the UFC 107 “Penn vs. Sanchez” main event this Saturday at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

“There’s going to be pressure in any fight,” Sanchez said during a Monday teleconference. “There was pressure on me when I won a state championship in high school. If you don’t know how to deal with pressure, you’re never going to be champion. This is what I’ve been working for the last eight years.”

The 27-year-old Sanchez moved down to lightweight following his technical knockout victory over American Top Team’s Luigi Fioravanti last year and seems to have been on a collision course with Penn ever since. Decision wins against former title challenger Joe Stevenson and the relentless Clay Guida hastened his ascent.

In Penn, he meets a man who holds him in high regard.

“I think Diego’s good in all areas,” Penn said. “He’s got great takedowns and jiu-jitsu and has improved his striking a lot. All that said, I think his greatest strength is his tenacity. All you’ve got to do is look at his past fights.”

One of the sport’s top five pound-for-pound competitors, Penn remains one of only two men -- Randy Couture is the other -- to hold UFC titles in two weight classes. He has not lost at 155 pounds since his majority decision defeat to Jens Pulver eight years ago.

“If you want to beat the best, you have to fight the best,” Sanchez said. “I suppose I’ve wanted to fight him since back when he beat Matt Hughes for the [welterweight] title. I always wanted to train with B.J., but it never happened. I suppose it was for a reason. It’s a good thing we never got together and trained. Now, we’re going to go to war. It’s going to be like chess.”

In other notes from the teleconference:

• Penn has returned to training with conditioning guru Marv Marinovich in California. “Marv is on a different level,” Penn said. “Every [other] trainer out there is doing the same stuff. It’s all built the same way. It’s mindless stuff. Everything I do works the right side and left side of my brain, uses my balance. Marv’s exercises are based on performance. It’s head-over-heels beyond the other stuff that’s out there. Marv’s really tapped into something.” The soon-to-be 31-year-old champion began training with Marinovich prior to his submission victory over Kenny Florian at UFC 101;

• For the first time in his career, Sanchez decided to work with a strength and conditioning coach, as he brought Steve Maxwell into the fold. “I feel like I got a lot stronger. I feel stronger at 165 than I did when I was at 185 on the show. We did a lot of yoga, a lot of work with kettle bells,” Sanchez said;

• Penn likes the idea of facing someone, like Sanchez, with a healthy fan base of his own, as it leads to more pay-per-view buys and higher paydays;

• Sanchez has no physical concerns as he heads into his first five-round fight. “In my two losses, I wished there were more rounds. I’ve always been a five-round fighter. I’ve never gotten tired in a fight,” he said;

• Penn made it a point to focus on his conditioning since Sanchez has become known for his ability to break down opponents with his savage pace. “That’s an area we did a lot of work on -- people trying to push the pace on us. We amped up our cardio to get ready for what’s going to take place. It makes no sense to train with a slow jiu-jitsu guy if you’re fighting a strong wrestler who’s exploding all the time,” Penn said;

• Sanchez spoke of the importance of self confidence. “I’m rigged differently. In my mind, I’m going to beat whoever I’m in the cage with. You’ve got to believe in yourself. I believe it’s my time. Everything in my career built up to this moment. Everything feels right,” he said.