With a broken collarbone mended, Diego Sanchez (25-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC) is itching to return to the cage, and if things go according to plan, he’ll be doing it in the featherweight division.

“I’m going down to 145,” Sanchez said on the latest edition of “The MMA Road Show” with John Morgan. “I think there’s some great fights down there at 145. Even right away, I’m going to be a force in the divison – right away. And I know all the 145-pounders are, ‘Oh, that’s if you make weight. If Diego can make weight.’ That’s what they’re going to be saying. But, you know what? I’m going to do it. I’m going to make weight, and I’m going down to this division.”

Sanchez recently agreed to a sponsorship opportunity with Instant Knockout Fat Burner and said that when he started using the product, he suddenly realized dropping to 145 pounds was a real possibility, as he went quickly from a walk-around weight of 190 pounds down to 170.

“The weight started coming off so fast, and one month in, I was already down to 170 pounds,” Sanchez said. “I was basically as lean as I am going into a fight at 155. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’m not even in the gym, and I’m able to get this lean right now – 145 is realistic now.’

“I weighed out all the positives and the negatives. As a positive, I want to be one of the UFC fighters – Kenny Florian is the only UFC fighter to compete in four divisions, but he didn’t win at 185. But he competed in four divisions. I want to be the one that actually wins (in four divisions).”

Sanchez – who won the original season of “The Ultimate Fighter” at 185 pounds, went 7-2 as a UFC welterweight and 2009 challenged for the UFC lightweight title – said he has been impressed by the fast rise of featherweight contender Conor McGregor and believes the Irishman’s size and reach at 145 pounds make him a true force. Sanchez believes he would possess many of the same advantages with the move.

Sanchez also pointed to fighters such as Jon Jones and Luke Rockhold, whose size in their respective divisions, coupled with a strong wrestling base, gives them distinct advantages in the cage. And while his MMA training has been limited during his recovery, Sanchez said the time away has allowed him to start making changes to his body in preparation for a drop to featherweight.

“I really just took it as a whole fitness approach,” Sanchez said. “Let’s not just tackle this injury. Let’s tackle it as a whole. I’m going to attack everything in my whole body – my energy system, my diet, my nutrition, just everything.”

Sanchez doesn’t yet have a fight booked but hopes to return to the octagon later this year. He admits he’s still open to taking fights at lightweight, his home for the past six years, should the UFC need him there, but he also sees several big fights in the featherweight division, as well.

“A fight I know the fans would want to see is a rematch with Clay Guida,” Sanchez said. “We put on a great fight at one point, and he’s in the top-10, and he’s not on my team anymore, so that’s a fight that could happen.

“The ultimate fight that I would like the best is Ricardo Lamas. … He’s coming off of a knockout loss, but the guy is a come-forward fighter. He won’t try to run. This guy fights. He doesn’t run away. He’s not going to play the ‘I’m afraid of you and I’m going to run away.’ He’s going to come forward, and those are ultimately the best fights for me that showcase my skills and give the fans the best fights.”

Sanchez said he also sees a fight with McGregor as a natural fit, as well.

At 33 years old, Sanchez said he plans on fighting until 37 before he takes a moment to re-evaluate the future of his professional career. He also plans on limiting his sparring sessions, citing the resurgence of current UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler as proof of what avoiding unnecessary contact can do to prolong and even improve a fighting career.

But more than anything, Sanchez said he wants to earn the title of UFC champion, and he believes 145 pounds is the best place to do it.

“I’ll fight any of those guys at 145,” Sanchez said. “I want to make a run for the belt. That’s my dream, to be the UFC champion, and I’m not going to give up on my dream, despite what the haters or the naysayers may say.

“I’m going down to 145, and I’m going for the belt.”

To hear more from Sanchez, listen to the latest edition of “The MMA Road Show” with John Morgan.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.