No Punches Thrown: Diaz Loses Fight with Pierre by No Show

In what could have been the biggest fight for the welterweight division since Hughes vs. Pierre 2, Nick Diaz has been removed from the featured welterweight title bout at UFC 137, Dana White made the announcement only minutes before a scheduled press conference.

White sited having contacted Diaz and tried on multiple occasions to get Diaz to the event with no avail. White received a phone call during the press conference from Cesar Gracie, Diaz’s trainer, agreeing with White on the decision. White said stated that he wasn’t sure if this would be the end of Diaz’s career with the UFC or not but that it was a good possibility.

It seems the only determining factor holding Nick Diaz’s career is Nick Diaz himself. He cannot blame any negotiations, lack of training, opponents, or refs. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Diaz sounds almost angry at the UFC and his management and perhaps that fed into his motivation to be a no show. Nick Diaz has always said of himself that his fighting was about money, so why, when the biggest purse possible for him is on the line, throw it away? Perhaps there is logic behind all this that will come out in the days ahead. The only thing that can save Diaz’s career now is him manning up about what’s going on in his personal life that has led to him letting down the UFC, his trainers, and his fans.

Diaz fighting record shows him as a great fighter but what remains to be seen is how he sits in the minds of fans. You don’t have to be liked by fans to be a great fighter, but to be remembered as one, you do.

See more of Diaz’s interview with Ariel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObKZDVIRjyg and read more about the missed press conference at http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-iole_ufc_stpierre_diaz_090711


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