Nick Diaz
Former UFC title contender Nick Diaz has come under much scrutiny this week. Controversy seems to follow him wherever he goes if it’s not failing a drugs test and getting one of his most high profile victories overturned it’s getting reprimanded for brawling on national television. And last week after being scheduled for a long awaiting shot at UFC Welterweight champion George St Pierre, he rises to the occasion by missing two promotional press conferences, lying to UFC president Dana White, hiding from his coach / mentor Caesar Gracie and his team mates (including Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez).
He then took to YouTube to explain himself in a maddening self shot video diary while driving! It is just about coherent enough for fans to detect a delusional smugness.
Nick Diaz “I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the beauty pageant”
“Funny, one second I’m about to come into some money, do a little boxing, you know, fucking, probably lose some teeth. But um, I’m ready to get paid, you know. So, I’ll fight whoever, whatever, anything you know. I’d definitely rather fight GSP of course. You know, I was ready to do some boxing, and they didn’t like that. So they got me out of that, and they got me in the fight with GSP for the same money, or more money, or whatever. But now it looks like they get to save money, and I don’t get paid, and I’m locked in a new contract. All these deal makers making deals. All I know is I’m ready to fight. I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the beauty pageant. But, you know, I’ve never not showed up to a fight. I’ve never backed out of a fight in my life, that’s not what I do. So I just wanted to throw that out there.”
I’m not a doctor and neither is trainer Caesar Gracie but he knows Diaz better than anyone so when he says he think he has social anxiety disorder I’m inclined to agree (especially after this latest bout of sabotaging his own career). The difference between missing this press conference and the Strikeforce pressers of the past is this fight was the biggest and likely most profitable fight of his career. He’s complained for the last few years about not getting paid the same amount for fighting as GSP does. His chance had finally arrived to start earning that champion type of money he has wanted for years and he throws it all away.
“I talked to Dana White about this before, and I think a big problem with all of this is Nick has social anxiety,” Caesar Gracie said. “He doesn’t like to go and be away from home. He has no trouble fighting in the cage, though.
“He doesn’t feel comfortable being around people. He has a very deep ingrained social anxiety, and it’s something he probably needs help for, I think. I think that’s why he self-medicates with the marijuana. That’s my amateur opinion.”
White has been quoted in the past saying Diaz “Has to play the game” if he wants to get back into UFC. I don’t think this is what Dana had in mind. After he [Diaz] was pulled and replaced with Carlos Condit for the fight White expressed that he wasn’t surprised by Diaz’s behaviour, but he was extremely angry with him, so angry that he was close to cutting him from the promotion entirely. Removing him from the fight was understandable. Diaz has been quoted as saying he finds the media portion of the fight business a waste of time, as a lot of fighters do. But it is still part of their job, if I don’t bother turning up for my office job I get fired. That’s why I get up at 7am every morning because I have to.
I think Condit is arguably a more well rounded fighter than Diaz so I think he will give St Pierre a better fight at UFC 137.
It begs the question if Diaz beats BJ Penn (his new opponent when the main event and co-main event were switched around) will he get another title shot? Surely that would put the UFC in the same predicament as they were in last week. So it begs the question; what was the point of pulling him in the first place? Above all I think Ceasar Gracie needs to get Nick Diaz some professional help for his social anxiety or else he will end up having a mental illness blight his career like it has Karo Parisyan’s.
Even though this piece seems like I’m being overly harsh towards Diaz I’m actually a really big fan and hate to see him throwing his career away by making stupid childish decisions. He’s an extremely entertaining fighter and always comes ready to fight.
What are your thoughts of the Nick Diaz fiasco. Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading cheers!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I just hope the UFC gives him as much credits as he deserves. Whatever he does, he is verry populair. He is real. The real world.
They should just give him another chance.
I am a big fan of his. I just started watching UFC fights. He was the first fighter who’s name i could not forget.
If the UFC wants fighters with no attitude and fighters who only throw baby legkicks and play a game, than they will loose viewers and fans.
I am sad to hear that a populair fighter needs to answer all sorts of questions that the press askes them. They are in to fight! That’s how some of them earn their bread, feed their family. Give him the contract that fits to his popularity. Let him give answers that he wants to give, people, fans like him for that too. If UFC signs a contract with a fighter, UFC also deeds to know that this is a fighter and not a show performer like Jason Miller is!
Sorry if this is not the comment that you are looking for.
Cheers to all Diaz fans,
Miranda
Hi Miranda,
I just want to quote a paragraph from my article again so you can read it
“Even though this piece seems like I’m being overly harsh towards Diaz I’m actually a really big fan and hate to see him throwing his career away by making stupid childish decisions. He’s an extremely entertaining fighter and always comes ready to fight.”
I’m a really big Nick Diaz fan I just hate the way he has a habit of wrecking his own career by not playing by rules and fulfilling the obligations that he is supposed to as part of his job (i.e attending press conferences). Every other UFC fighter has to do it so why shouldn’t he?
He’s so talented but he messes things up for himself big time with his lapses in judgement.
Thanks for the comment.
Brendan