Nick Diaz may be the most interesting individual in mixed martial arts. He’s a fighter with talent that many of his peers would kill to have, and his abilities have earned him opportunities that most people who step into a cage or ring will never get. However, when he no-showed a couple of press conferences last week, he may have lost the chance for the biggest payday of his career. That alone makes me want to know more about Mr. Diaz.
I remember reading this piece about Diaz on Sherdog and that’s the point where I became a fan. The line “I dropped out of school to do this,” followed by the “Yeah, but now I’m going to have to do this for a living,” immediately made me want to know more about this guy. He trains to beat people up; choke them unconscious and twist limbs the way they are not supposed to go; yet he seems unhappy to put those talents to use.
Have you ever seen Nick Diaz smile? I think back to when he had just shut up Paul Daley and was standing in the middle of the cage with teammates Gilbert Melendez and Jake Shields. One was holding Strikeforce gold and the other was set to face off against Georges St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight title. Both were smiling and slapping each other on the back. But Diaz was pacing around, scowling as if he was just told by the teacher that he had to retake the final exam.
Riding a ten fight win streak, Diaz was set to face GSP at UFC 137 but had that opportunity snatched away when he decided to avoid the mandatory press conference for the event. While no one was sure where the challenger/champion was, people were not surprised by his actions. I wasn’t. The reaction by UFC President Dana White caught me more off guard than anything. I don’t agree with it, but the bosses have to crack the whip occasionally to let everyone know who runs the show.
While reactions raged to Diaz now showing the press conference; UFC execs slipped Carlos Condit into the challenger position and left future Hall of Famer BJ Penn without an opponent. Destined to face only top names for the twilight of his career, someone was needed to fill in against the former champion. That individual is Nick Diaz.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this came as a type of punishment for standing up all the flashing lights and video cameras. Would you be shocked if this bout began a downward spiral for Diaz that eventually sees him cut from the organization? I wouldn’t be shocked at all. Maybe I’m jumping the gun here, but I feel like Diaz may have just placed himself in a situation that has added more pressure on his shoulders than when he was set to face the current champion. He stated that GSP had everything to lose in their pending battle, but now it seems as if that obligation has shifted to his corner.
Nick Diaz may have some sort of mental imbalance that causes him to hate being around people and cameras. Or maybe he’s a marketing genius that knows how to keep his name in the mouths of the people that matter. Either way he’s an interesting individual who needs to have some sort of special series dedicated to finding out what makes him tick. I know I’d watch.
