In fifteen minutes Nick Diaz threw some excitement into the UFC’s welterweight division. At UFC 137, the Stockton, California native displayed a level of striking ability and grit that proved the legitimacy of his ten-fight winning streak, and defeated BJ Penn. When it was all said and done, not only did Diaz earn a vital victory for his career, but he may have ended the career of one of the most popular fighters to ever participate in the sport.
The fight between the two welterweights was an intriguing matchup because both fighters are similar in many ways, but questions were still swirling around them both. Fans and experts wondered if Diaz would be able to survive if this fight went to the ground, while also wondering if Penn’s gas tank would be able to carry him through a fight where Diaz would use his trademark volume punching. By the end of the main event, both questions were definitively answered.
Penn controlled much of the first round. Pushing the pace and not allowing Diaz to get into a rhythm, he landed powerful punches to Diaz’s head before moving away to avoid Diaz’s range. When the fight hit the ground, Penn was able to create a scramble and end up in back control. However, Diaz reacted fast enough to get his opponent off his back, and get the fight back to the feet. From that moment forward, it was apparent who had taken control of the battle.
At the start of the second round, Diaz began to catch Penn with punches in bunches from range. While Diaz is known for what many people consider “pesky sting” type punches, he was clearly hurting Penn, who was staggering around the cage. Diaz was in the zone as he began to goad Penn and call out to him. The fight looked to be finished at the end of the second round, as Penn was badly bleeding and his eye was swollen shut. He stumbled back to his corner with a dejected look that we have rarely seen during his career.
The third round was more of the same, as Diaz continued to push the pace and stalk Penn around the cage. Even still, Penn mustered the ability to fire back with multiple shots, but none were able to keep his opponent off of him. He came close to being stopped at one point during the round, but he continued to fight back through the final bell.
When it was all said and done, Diaz and his corner did exactly what they are known for, and that’s whatever they want. Viewers could hear calls of “call out GSP,” and other vulgarities, as Diaz stepped closer to the microphone. Not only did he call Georges St. Pierre out, but he questioned how hurt GSP really was. Those actions did exactly what he wanted, as he has now been granted a title shot against GSP during the UFC’s Super Bowl weekend show. On the other hand, Penn openly stated that he is done and doesn’t plan to do this to himself anymore.
At the end of UFC 137 we found out exactly who the number one contender to St. Pierre’s crown really is, and he is possibly GSP’s most dangerous challenge to date. Yet we also watched the end of the great career of one of the sport’s only two-division champions. While many people were worried about the event once St. Pierre was pulled off the card due to injury, the replacement main event did not let any of us down.
