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Chris Cozzone: Holm, Sanchez tie for fighter of year honors
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The battle for Fighter of the Year in 2006 came down to a man and a woman. A boxer and a mixed martial artist.
In one corner, I present Albuquerque boxer Holly Holm (16-1-2, 5 KOs), who earned two world titles in two divisions this year.
In the other corner, I present Diego Sanchez, the former Del Norte High School wrestler turned ultimate fighter who remains undefeated.
The year saw Holm beat four top-10 contenders and she sold out Isleta Casino in three shows, coming close in the fourth.
Women's boxing has its problems - a lack of solid opposition and too many meaningless titles - Holm has soared to near the top of the best pound-for-pound fighter list this year.
She ranks among the best women's boxers along with Ann Wolfe (24-1, 16 KOs) and Laila Ali (23-0, 20 KOs).
But I'd be willing to bet that there's not a single female fighter on the planet who has a steadier, better-paying gig than Holm has made for herself here in Albuquerque, thanks largely to her ties with Isleta and promoter Lenny Fresquez.
What Holm has done for boxing in New Mexico, Diego "The Nightmare" Sanchez has done for mixed martial arts.
With three top-notch wins in 2006, all televised on TV or pay-per-view, Sanchez (19-0) has become a superstar in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a household name in MMA.
Since his breakout year in 2005 when he won his division in "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show on Spike TV, Sanchez has wiped out his opposition with increasingly impressive style.
On Wednesday night, headlining "Ultimate Fight Night 7," Sanchez solidified himself as the primary threat to the welterweight division by becoming the one and only fighter to knock out Joe "Diesel" Riggs (25-9), flooring him with a right hook and finishing him with a knee to the face in 1:45.
Before that, he dominated top contender Karo Parisyan in August, and won by decision the difficult John Alessio in May, and is now looked upon as the heir apparent to the UFC welterweight throne.
Only three fighters now stand in his way: champion Georges St. Pierre, former champ Matt Hughes (who lost his belt to St. Pierre in November), and former champion B.J. Penn.
A title shot is evident in 2007.
As for Holm?
Except for undefeated Mary Jo Sanders (22-0, 6 KOs), Holm is the dominant fighter from 140 through 154 as long as Lucia Rijker (17-0, 14 KOs) remains M.I.A., that is. A showdown against Sanders is inevitable, but a fight for her biggest purse yet, against Laila Ali, should also not be ruled out for Õ07.
While Ali outweighs Holm, as much as 35 pounds depending on the titles the two fighters own, she lacks Holm's finesse in the ring. A showdown is a no-lose fight for Holm - if she loses, it won't be because Ali is better - just bigger.
So who gets the nod for Fighter of the Year?
Let's call it a draw.
Top trainers: Kudos in 2006 should also go out to the state's top two trainers.
Greg Jackson trains Sanchez along with his world-class crew at Jackson's Gaidojutsu. Also, Mike Winkeljohn continues to make vast improvements with Holm.
Other notables: MMA fighter, light heavyweight Keith Jardine (11-2-1) should also be mentioned for his rise to contention status within UFC. In his biggest fight yet, on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas, he'll take on Forrest Griffin (13-3), who is headed for a world title shot-unless Jardine can beat him. If that happens, expect Jardine to swap places for a shot at either Chuck Liddell or Tito Ortiz in 2007.
In amateur boxing, the Las Cruces Police Athletic League dominated the scene in New Mexico once again. The year's top amateur fighter - and the most likely to be our next Johnny Tapia caliber boxer from New Mexico - was Sammy DiPace, who racked up his 13th (a record for New Mexico) national title).
