When UFC President Dana White announced that he had something crazy up his sleeve for BJ Penn‘s replacement opponent, the wildest option he had on his plate was booking the man who caused all the drama—Nick Diaz.
After losing out on a title shot against UFC Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, Diaz will now be featured as the co-main event opposite Penn, whose original opponent—Carlos Condit—will now face St. Pierre for the belt.
After not appearing at the required media conferences, White booted Diaz from the UFC 137 title fight, but did not cut the former Strikeforce champion. Because of this, fans speculated that Diaz would face Penn, although the option seemed unlikely due to the recent drama between Diaz and the UFC.
Now that both fights are set—hopefully for good—the matchup between Penn and Diaz looks to be an incredible bout.
Some analysts believe that Diaz is getting rewarded for his bad behavior and that this fight sends the wrong message to both fighters and fans. But I disagree and believe that this fight came about because of several factors that actually benefit both the UFC and its fans.
Realistically, every other viable welterweight other than Diaz is injured, booked, or just coming off a fight. In order to retain the same magnitude for the event without pitting Penn against St. Pierre, Diaz was the only choice.
Also, if the organization cut Diaz, another promotion could have scooped him up and taken away one of the best welterweights in the UFC, a division that is almost cleared out by the champion.
Some may think that Diaz will never get a title shot now, but other than Penn and Diaz, there really is no one left for St. Pierre at 170. In order to provide top contenders to face St. Pierre and keep the division viable, the UFC was forced to retain Diaz.
As for the fight itself, I think that it will be one of the most exciting fights of the year, possibly more exciting than St. Pierre versus Condit.
Both fighters are former champions with first class jiu-jitsu and boxing; the stylistic pairing alone will ensure fireworks.
When Penn is on his game, he is one of the most dangerous fighters in the world. His striking is so crisp and dynamic while his grappling is second to none.
Diaz, who is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and avid boxer, is known to bring it to his opponent. He stood and traded punches with Paul Daley in his last bout and beat the heavy-handed striker at his own game.
The former Strikeforce Welterweight champion is a tricky fighter to prepare for and will certainly motivate Penn. If we do not see a vintage performance from the former two-time champion I will be surprised.
In hindsight, this match-up should have been set from the start.
Diaz is coming in off a lengthy title reign but has not faced the level of competition that the UFC provides. Pitting him against Penn is the best option to test his skills against a true champion.
If he can take out Penn, he definitely deserves to be the top contender for the winner of St. Pierre versus Condit regardless of the recent debacle.
All facts considered, this fight was by far the right one to make.
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