LAS VEGAS—The fun part about a Nick Diaz fight isn’t really the fight itself.
Not that there’s anything wrong with the fights. Diaz is exciting, what with his constant motion and punches and trash-talking.
But it’s the other stuff, the stuff that goes along with Diaz, that makes him such an attraction. That’s why media members completely encircled Diaz’s empty podium 20 minutes before the brash Stockton native was set to show up for Thursday’s media day.
Anderson Silva, the greatest fighter in the history of the sport? Five media members awaited his arrival, which came 23 minutes after he was scheduled to arrive.
Make no mistake: For those of us who are looking for quotable bits and pieces, Diaz was the attraction, even when the great Silva was in the room.
Diaz was the attraction because Wednesday he pulled a Diaz move, skipping the traditional fight week open workouts after missing several UFC-scheduled flights. On Tuesday, he showed up at the airport in Sacramento, put his bags on the plane, walked to his gate and then, in his own words, “had to go home for some things.” He turned around and left the airport, leaving UFC officials scrambling.
“When we got to the airport I was like, I think I’d just rather sleep in my own bed tonight,” Diaz said. “I think they were gonna try to jam me up with a bunch of things.
“I apologize to all the fans, especially the ones that were here to see the open workout. I didn’t really put too much thought into it. I was just more focused on the fight,” Diaz said. “I’ve pulled the same card a couple of times. It’s pretty inconsiderate of me. I apologize to all the fans who were anticipating a show on Wednesday.”
Yes, Diaz has pulled the same card a couple of times. For UFC officials, it is nothing new. This time, they were ready to capitalize, turning his absence into a marketing angle that set MMA‘s social media space on fire. Dana White tweeted a photo of Diaz on a milk carton. The promotion worked it into its highly popular online Embedded series. In short, the UFC did what promoters do best, which is take the cards they are given and play them to their advantage.
Diaz wasn’t surprised at the UFC’s decision to use his absence as a fight-week storyline.
“They’re gonna have something regardless. They’re gonna say whatever they want to say,” Diaz said. “They had fun with it. That’s fine. They’re gonna do what they like.”
Diaz is the most interesting character in mixed martial arts precisely because he is as real as they come. He hates media obligations. But when he does them, he opens up in a way few others do with raw-nerve honesty. He repeatedly noted on Thursday that he wasn’t going to rush to Las Vegas to fulfill media commitments when his only obligation was to show up on Friday, make weight and fight on Saturday.
In his mind, those are the moments he committed to. Everything else falls by the wayside if he so chooses.
“For me, mixed martial arts isn’t a career. It’s an opportunity. Today is an opportunity,” he said. “I have to work myself up to these things. I make the best out of the situation.”
After 30 minutes of conversation, UFC representative Reed Harris signaled that Diaz’s time in front of the media was up. It was a curious thing; the other nine fighters available for media stuck around another 30 minutes. Not Diaz. He walked over to the fans stuck behind a barricade and signed autographs for a few minutes before disappearing with his massive bodyguard into a back room, emerging 30 minutes later for his faceoff with Silva.
It took an extra day, but Diaz showed up. And when he did, he proved once again that he’s one of the most intriguing people the sport has ever seen. And perhaps the magic of Diaz is that we get such limited doses and so few chances for actual face time.
Even if it is not intentional, he makes the moment count.
Silva, Diaz Are Polar Opposites of Jones, Cormier
The media day faceoff earlier this month between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier was as heated as they come, an intense and public moment between two fighters who didn’t like each other and did not mind showing it.
Thursday’s faceoff between Silva and Diaz? Not so much. Diaz looked as though he wasn’t sure how to act or handle himself with an opponent he respects. He awkwardly pointed at Silva before lifting his fists up for the photo op and then bowed to the former middleweight champion.
Unlike many opponents in the past, it appeared as though Diaz won’t be working himself into a frenzy in order to face Silva. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, we’ll find out Saturday night.
After the faceoff, Silva spotted longtime coach and friend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the crowd. Followed by his anxious (and massive) bodyguards, Silva surged through the assembled media and hugged Nogueira, and Big Nog gave him a huge smile in return. The pair hadn’t seen each other in a while, and it was a happy reunion.
After speaking with Nogueira briefly, Silva spent nearly 30 minutes signing autographs and taking photos with the fans in attendance. He laughed and joked and gave off the appearance of a man without a care in the world.
During a media scrum earlier, Silva repeated his belief that the Diaz fight represents his UFC debut all over again. If his tour de force Wednesday open workout and general mannerisms are to be believed, the rest of the UFC’s middleweight division might be in trouble.
Tate Plans Super Post-Fight Party
Win or lose, there will be no Vegas clubs for Miesha Tate after her bout against Sara McMann.
Instead, Tate, longtime boyfriend Bryan Caraway, mother Michele and stepfather Rob will rent an RV and drive to Phoenix, home of Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. Tate asked sponsor Budweiser for tickets to the Super Bowl prior to the Seahawks’ thrilling January 18 game against the Green Bay Packers. The beer giant obliged.
“But I knew it would be much more life-changing and memorable if my team was there,” Tate said. “That was a pivotal moment. For me, it’s way more awesome to go there and support my own local team.”
“That’s our post-fight party,” Caraway told Bleacher Report.
Things worked out perfectly. Tate will face McMann, and a win would move her one step closer to her ultimate goal of a third fight with Ronda Rousey. Then, she’ll hop on an RV—ideally with another win in her back pocket—and drive the four hours to Phoenix to support her favorite football team while eating the kind of tailgate junk food she has denied herself for the past eight weeks.
It has the makings of a perfect weekend.
Woodley Still Believes in the People of Ferguson
It has been nearly six months since Tyron Woodley watched his hometown of Ferguson, Missouri, spiral out of control after the shooting of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Woodley is part of the fabric of Ferguson. He was on Canfield Drive just two days before police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Brown on the same street. In August, he told Bleacher Report that he was skeptical of real governmental change in Ferguson; racial tensions have existed in the city for as long as Woodley can remember.
In November, a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson for the shooting. Ferguson exploded anew. Violent protests broke out. Looters crashed into local businesses, stealing anything not nailed down while the national news aired the madness live.
Woodley was disappointed with the decision not to indict Wilson.
“Our justice system failed us. The city failed us. Not that he should have been found guilty. But the due process wasn’t served,” Woodley told Bleacher Report. “I feel like the case was strong enough that it should have at least been taken to court. There’s still some kinks in the system. It’s wrong on both sides. Hopefully, this stops the sweeping underneath the rug, and they’ll really address what’s going on in the government.”
Woodley said he’s disappointed in the Ferguson government but still believes in the people, and that the looters America saw on national news did not represent the city.
“They were professional opportunists who didn’t even live in Missouri. Ninety-nine percent of the people who live in Ferguson were peacefully protesting,” he said. “That’s what activists do: They say ‘this is wrong, I don’t believe it and I’m going to peacefully show it.’ The people that used it as an opportunity to steal and loot, they’re idiots and morons. They’re a disgrace to society and the human race.”
Gastelum Reserving Judgment on Reebok Deal
Fighters and their managers began learning more about the new partnership between the UFC and Reebok at the UFC Fight Night card in Boston in January.
Earlier this month, Bleacher Report revealed the details of the new Athlete Outfitting Policy, which goes into effect beginning with the July 6 card in Las Vegas. But one thing is still missing, and it’s the most important detail of all: how much the fighters will make from the deal.
Welterweight Kelvin Gastelum, who faces Woodley in Saturday night’s co-main event, said he is reserving judgment on the deal until he finds out how it will impact his checkbook.
“I can’t say until we know the dollar amount. A lot of people are going to be losing a lot of money,” Gastelum said. “But until we see the dollar amount, we won’t know how to react.”
It is a common refrain among fighters, especially those with good sponsorship deals like Gastelum. He is sponsored by Bad Boy, an iconic brand in the mixed martial arts space, and the company pays him a monthly salary to promote its brand.
But beginning in July, the UFC will force all fighters to wear Reebok for all UFC-sanctioned appearances.
What will happen to Gastelum’s deal with Bad Boy or with Urijah Faber’s deal with Torque, once those brands are no longer able to appear on UFC broadcasts?
Many questions remain on the Reebok deal, and it could be months before we have definitive answers. In the meantime, the fighters play the waiting game just like the rest of us.
All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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