After it was reported that Nick Diaz was replaced by Carlos Condit in the main event at UFC 137, Diaz appeared in a YouTube response to the news. The question remains what to do with Diaz.
Diaz responded to the news in a YouTube video where he did not understand why he was cut from the main event. The UFC actually posted the video on its own twitter account.
The YouTube video posted by NickDiaz209 is entitled, “Looks like someone don’t want me to win.”
It appears that the UFC will not cut Diaz even though he caused the UFC to spend $15,000 on plane tickets Diaz failed to use to attend the press conferences.
Payout Perspective:
Admittedly, Dana White is a fan of Diaz and it seems like the UFC would still like to utilize Diaz despite the no-shows. Yet, this is a prime example of White had described as Diaz’s failure “to play the game.” While Diaz laments in the video on being screwed (again) out of money, it was his choice. Even Cesar Gracie, Diaz’s manager, seems at his end with what to do with Diaz.
If not for being favored by White, Diaz would have received the Nate Marquardt/Paul Daley treatment. But, his actions have hurt his reliability as a professional fighter. White has questioned whether he is a main event fighter as he told MMA Junkie, “Nick Diaz obviously can’t handle the pressure of a main event of this magnitude,” White offered. Not good when your boss thinks this way. And for Diaz, no main events, mean no big payday.
If Diaz just has major anxiety/panic disorder … that can be treated pretty easily and he can get back in the cage. But that video hints at some more serious problems – like delusional, even paranoid, thinking. There are people who become convinced that everyone in the world is plotting against them – paranoid schizophrenics. Schizophrenia is much, much harder to treat.
Hopefully, it’s just extreme anxiety, but that video is the most troublesome aspect of this whole psycho-drama.
@juan: let’s hope its anxiety. I think if he’d just talked to Dana about this, it could be cleared up. I mean Lesnar is not a guy that does a lot of press and it seems to be working out.
Even anxiety or MDD requires medication that would be difficult on an athlete competing at the level of the UFC. He needs to figure out if this is something he wants to do with his life. If he thinks he can go to boxing and somehow he won’t have to do any promotion he’s out of his mind.
In light of the new news that Diaz has been rebooked as the co-main event on the same card, I am beginning to question how much of this melodrama was real and how much was staged. Given Dana’s comments immediately after the press conference about having an ‘OMG’ opponent for Penn, it seems like they already knew what they were going to do with Nick before the press conference even started.
They probably had to let their heads cool before reinserting Diaz into the event. Also, they would have to get an agreement signed with BJ Penn, so I doubt it was staged. BJ Penn vs Nick Diaz is an OMG incredible fight in my opinion, and it wouldn’t be thought of as anything else in any other situation. In all honesty, I believe we’ve got a more competitive fight than Diaz vs St. Pierre, though I’ll admit I had no idea how Condit vs Penn would’ve turned out, or how Condit vs St. Pierre will play out. I’m glad Diaz is still on the card, his punishment will be a drastically reduced payday, so hopefully the prospect of all that money left on the table will get him to change his ways. I doubt it.
However, the decision also doesn’t make much sense: if Diaz defeats Penn and continues to win, will they risk booking him for another title shot? And what if he won said title, defeated one of the organization’s biggest draws, and continued to eschew media commitments and be an unpredictable, uncontrollable asset? It will be interesting to hear the justification for this move from the UFC brass.
I thought they would try to haul in Royce Gracie against BJ 😉 😀