Inside MMA has the scoop with Diaz manager Cesar Gracie who indicates that a fight with Fernando Vargas is signed. Does this mean that the Strikeforce welterweight champ is retiring from MMA?
In his post-fight interviews from Saturday, Diaz talked about not getting paid enough, overworked, over-trained and possibly being suspended. The release of Strikeforce salaries shows Diaz earned $175,000 (not including sponsors) for his fight with Paul Daley.
Nick Diaz last four payouts in Strikeforce:
vs. Paul Daley – $175,000
vs. “Cyborg” Santos – $150,000
vs. KJ Noons – $50,000
vs. Marius Zaromskis – $100,000
Diaz is earning respectable money for the Strikeforce WW champ. Speaking of underpaid, the latest Strikeforce salary report has Paul Song receiving only $750 for his prelim bout.
The full interview will be on Inside MMA on HD Net this Friday.
Payout Perspective:
This is an unusual career move if the information is true. Only Fernando Vargas benefits from this news as he is the only one that will receive a career boost from the fight. In a post-fight interview, Dana White talked about how Diaz could be a star and that the money will come. It should especially with the new marriage with Zuffa. Still, Diaz seems only happy when he’s miserable.
Shouldn’t Diaz question his management about the direction of his finances? If he is claiming that he’s not seeing the money then maybe he should ask his manager instead of demonizing a straw person (or people) holding him back. It should be the role of the manager or agent to come up with opportunities both inside and out of the ring. Sure, an agent can only go so far to lobby for matches. But, they definitely can help a client with outside opportunities. Sponsorships, business investments and general finances are well within the realm of a manager. This is what White meant when he stated Diaz “won’t play the game”. If Diaz would be more media savvy, he might be able to get more opportunities. Diaz has the “Stone Cold” persona which could play well with sponsors and advertisers. A lot of people are fans of this Nick Diaz. He just needs to know when to turn it on and off.
A fight with Vargas diminishes the Diaz brand at a time when its received the most publicity.
UPDATE 4/14/11, 11pm: The Vargas fight fell threw according to MMA Junkie. Diaz has restructured his Strikeforce contract (presumably to allow boxing) and will look to fight Jeff Lacy. Lacy lost to Roy Jones, Jr. in 2009 via TKO. Jones was 40 years old at the time of the fight, not the dominant fighter of the late 1990s.
Could this all be a ploy so that Diaz will get a fight (and more importantly) a payday he wants? Fighting tomato cans doesn’t seem like the proper career path if the end goal is a big payday.
I’m not sure a fight against Vargas or Lacy would diminish Diaz’ brand. The fight would most likely take place on Showtime and could get the kind of hype that Couture-Toney received.
Lacey is a can in the boxing world, but he’s a handful for anyone in MMA looking to put on boxing gloves. Vargas is in that same category. Neither fight is big in the boxing world, but the MMA v. Boxing angle could attract a lot of eyes. And if Diaz wins, that should lead him to a bigger fight, since the top boxers will want a payday against an easy out and Diaz, a guy who brings a lot of interest but is not a boxer, might fit the bill. I could see any of the super-middleweights from the Showtime tournament wanting a crack at him. Mabye Kessler in his comeback fight.
When you lose it diminishes your brand. Diaz is an idiot. His boxing sucks and only survives in MMA because his chin. He is slow as all hell, has no defense, and does not have great power. Look at Daley. He isnt even a pure boxer and he got in on Diaz slow ass and lit him up. Daley gassed trying for the finish. That wouldnt have happened in a boxing match. HE would just keep getting his face beat in with nothing to fall back on. Also the UFC isnt in the business of promoting people who lose credibility. If he does this and loses he wont be able to come back to MMA and pick up where he left off. Zuffa will either cut him or throw him to the wolves. Right now they have reason to give him winable fights.
The UFC won’t cut him if he loses in boxing and what wolves are they going to throw him to? Diaz wants to fight all the top guys so I doubt that he’s going to be scared by any matchups. Cesar is calling out Anderson Silva. And if he loses he’ll be able to come back to MMA and pick up exactly where he left off. It won’t hurt him in the eyes of MMA fans to lose in boxing or at worst it will hurt him very little. Nothing a performance like the one last Saturday night won’t fix. MMA fans are used to fighters losing and accept it when that fighter was daring to do something great.
I don’t know if he would win or lose, but if this is something he wants to do, I’m interested in watching, and that’s what matters in the end.
And if he does win his first fight, he can probably get a big fight to follow up. I don’t see him having more than one or two fights in boxing but who knows.
Comments like “Diaz is an idiot” make you sound like a troll.
It was Diaz’ body shots and pressure that made Daley gas. Diaz hurt him several times against the cage and never let him breathe. That’s different than Daley punching himself out.
Sounds like posturing. The idea that all boxers make more than their MMA counterparts is a myth. The big money is only for the top guys, just like in MMA. The boxing community does not care about Nick Diaz (other than to see an “MMA guy” get put in his place), and he is not as valuable in boxing as he is in MMA. I doubt the match comes to fruition.
Leave it to Nick Diaz to jump off of the gravy train to board a sinking ship. Does he really think he’s going to become Pacquiao? He keeps talking about paydays for guys at the top of the sport, but he doesn’t seem to have any idea what these guys do to get there.
Diego? Are those Diaz nuts comfy? You sure seem to like riding them. Diaz wants to fight the best? Right thats why he resigned with SF right? Thats why he threatens to retire when Zuffa takes over right? Did you really say what wolves? lol. The guy lost his way out of the UFC. He cant beat any submission wrestler. So as much as you believe the SF hype that he is now a stud he is the same bum he was back in the day. Only now he is older, slower, and full of false confidence. Look at who he lost to in the UFC. Has he done anything to show those flaws are no there? He still cant stop a takedown. He still is the easiest person to hit in the entire division. Even old ass Hughes would run right over top of him. Its all cherry pie when you have SF feeding you pure strikers, journeyman, and bums. They have protected him since day one. Now that he is rumored to be fighting a wrestler next( Woodley) He wants a vacation and now talking retirement. Imagine that!! SF he is champ, UFC he is gate keeper. Thats a fact. I can list about a dozen in the UFC alone who would beat him. I know it will be hard for the UFC to find someone the caliber of 18-14 Cyborg or the half dozen 155 fighters he has been fed. lol
Read my post again you mental midget, I’m not riding his nuts, I’m just not hating on him like you are. UFC fighters might beat him, but none of them are going to hurt him.