Ultimate Fighter Finale

(Guida turns taking a shot into an art form. Photo courtesy of UFC.com)

After another fun, free MMA weekend we turn once again to the Potato Index to tell us where everyone stands.  Those of you who are confused by what the numbers mean, just think of every fighter starting at his own particular zero coming into the event.  Then we make up a number to reflect how far he’s climbed or fallen after his latest fight.  Kind of like the stock market, but way more fun and only slightly more bullshit.

Diego Sanchez +104
Whatever you think the final scores should have been, Sanchez won that fight.  He was a whirlwind on the feet and even managed to be the aggressor from the bottom when it hit the mat.  But does a decision victory here equal a title shot?  We wouldn’t mind seeing Sanchez vs. Gray Maynard to establish a clear contender.

As fighters go, Chris Lytle is uncommonly honest with himself.  He’s one of the few guys in this sport who, when asked about his goals, doesn’t give you some boiler plate answer about a title shot.  He’s in his mid-thirties, in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions, and he’s coming off a loss.  He knows there probably isn’t much time left, so he wants to make the best of the opportunities he has to put on a show.  

In this candid interview Lytle talks about some hard lessons learned in the fight game, why he’s perfectly content to fight a guy like Kevin Burns on a Spike TV TUF Finale card, and what advice he has for the new crop of fighters who will be just breaking into the UFC on Saturday night.

CagePotato.com: Thanks for talking with me, Chris.  It seems like the past couple of years your focus has really shifted to being in good fights rather than racking up consecutive victories.  Is the quality and entertainment value of your fights more important to you now than wins and losses?

Yeah, I mean, obviously I don’t want to say that I don’t care if I win or lose.  It’s painful to me when I lose a fight.  I go out there to do what I came to do and win, but I don’t want to win at any cost.  I want to put on an exciting fight and win.  When I do that, it’s great.  When I lose, obviously I didn’t do what I wanted to do.  But I’d rather go out there and fight the way I want and lose an exciting fight than win a boring decision.  That’s my mentality.  I want to fight my way.  I want to win, but that’s not the only thing on my mind.

(Props: MMA Videos)

As we count down to the "Ultimate Fighter" season 9 finale on Spike TV this Saturday night, take a look at some of Diego Sanchez's preparations in the gym.  Looks like someone plans on countering Clay Guida's wrestling with the old fake kick/side kick combo.  Good times, good energy.  

After the jump, Guida chats with MMACanada.net, whose interviewer simply could not sound more Canadian, and says he isn't worried about people thinking he's boring.  Dude's just living to eat, sleep, drink, and punch Diego Sanchez. 

Diego Sanchez headlines Saturday night’s “Ultimate Fighter” Finale on Spike TV just a little over four years after becoming the show’s very first winner.  Now he takes on Clay “The TUF-Slayer” Guida in a fight that, according to Sanchez, will catapult him into an immediate lightweight title shot.  Does that mean the same title shot is on the line for Guida?  Not so much, says “The Nightmare.”  He also had some interesting things to say about positive thinking, the upcoming B.J. Penn/Kenny Florian title fight, and how he feels about being the UFC's resident weirdo.  All this and more in our exclusive interview.

CagePotato.com: This is your second fight at lightweight.  Is the weight cut easier for you this time?

The weight cut’s gone great.  It’s been a lot better this time around.  I’ve been able to apply the right supplement and nutrition programs.  I feel right on point.  This week I was at about 171, and that’s right where I want to be.  The last ten pounds or so and the last couple days shouldn’t be too tough.  Then I’m fight ready.

Joe Stevenson began his UFC career on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”  On Saturday night he returns to fight another TUF alum, Nate Diaz, on the season nine finale in what might prove to be a make-or-break outing for him.  In our exclusive talk with him, Joe “Daddy” tells us why he changed training camps after his decision loss to Diego Sanchez, whether he’s worried about being cut, and why he might be hesitant to appear on a new season of TUF if he were coming up through the ranks today.

CagePotato.com: So you’ve been in New Mexico with Greg Jackson’s team preparing for this fight.  What made you decide that it was time for a change of training camps?

JS: Honestly, I’ve been here for going on seven weeks now and it’s been great.  I was feeling a little stagnant and I knew that if I didn’t try something different I would regret it.  If you don’t try all your avenues you’re going to end up when your fifty wishing you’d done something different and I don’t want to be that person.  On top of that, there’s great coaching here, great strategy, and they’ve given me a different outlook on the way I fight.  I’m just excited to let people see it now.

You mentioned strategy and that’s something a lot of people talk about when it comes to Greg Jackson.  How is his way of strategizing for a fight different from what you’ve been exposed to in the past?