Tuesday, November 1, 2011

UFC 137 Results: Woe is Nick Diaz - MMA Nation

Or should I say, "whoa"?

ufc 134

At UFC 137, Nick Diaz put on what could very well be a career-defining performance. After surviving UFC legend BJ Penn's best for five minutes, Diaz turned to his signature "pitter-patter" boxing and mind-blowing cardio to hand Penn what was easily one of his worst career losses.

Never one to be contented, Diaz began calling out welterweight champion—and his original opponent—Georges St-Pierre, as soon as Joe Rogan got a mic in his hands, "I don't think Georges is hurt, I think he's scared," proclaimed Diaz.

Fast forward to the post-fight press conference, where the Diaz "woe show" continued. Railing on about everything from his performance against Penn, his compensation (or perceived lack thereof), his neighborhood, and his difficulty getting the fight he wants, Diaz did nothing to help solve the conundrum that is his personality.

Upon hearing the news that he would be facing St-Pierre on Feb. 4, 2012, the fight that he wanted all along, Diaz seemed even more angry, "I got to be the bad guy, got to point the finger...make me the bad guy, now I'm the bad guy, and now I got a fight."

When asked if there was any joy for him in his win over Penn, Diaz interrupted, "No, no, nope, nope...I had to fight somebody I know, had to fight somebody who, we might have been friends at some point in time."

Listening to Diaz's responses, there is a very real sense of angst, of uncertainty, about his participation in the sport and it's effect on his life. He has made it clear that he—much like a dutiful father might work a job he hates so that he may feed his family—only prizefights because he happens to be good at it, and because he can make a living out of it.

But enjoy it? Not in the cards.

It's admittedly difficult to commiserate with a man who earned a minimum of $200,000 for one night's work (which excludes his $75,000 Fight of the Night bonus, any additional UFC bonuses, and sponsorship money), but it'd be a lie to say that he isn't, at the very least, intriguing.

In Diaz, fans are given the polar opposite of St-Pierre, which is exactly why the Super Bowl weekend match up between the two is so intriguing.

For St-Pierre's polished, PR-friendly answers, Diaz has five-minute long ramblings. For St-Pierre's smile and clean-cut good looks, Diaz has a scowl and scar tissue. "Thank you," says St-Pierre, "Screw you," says Diaz. The Stockton native is somewhat of a MMA anti-hero...strangely likable, and for all the wrong reasons.

For those of you wondering, "does Diaz know he's the perfect foil to St-Pierre?", I'd suggest you ask a different question...

Does he care?

Read more at: UFC 137 Results: Woe is Nick Diaz - MMA Nation

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