Whether it’s an apology, larger paycheck or respect, Nick Diaz feels like the world owes him.
Unfortunately for the troubled Cesar Gracie student, the world doesn’t owe him. If anything, he owes fans, teammates and UFC President Dana White.
For months, Diaz has done nothing but talk down on the UFC welterweight division. He constantly complained about guys like Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck being ranked higher and making more money.
Despite his ludicrous statements, Diaz had a multitude of hype behind him. There were plenty of people that felt he was the world-beater he often claimed to be.
When it was announced that Diaz would be facing St-Pierre at UFC 137 for the welterweight title, the level of excitement within the MMA community soared through the roof. Despite a serious stylistic mismatch, Diaz was instantly anointed by many as St-Pierre’s “toughest” test to date.
There are no certainties in an MMA bout, but a quick look at history could debunk some of the premature Diaz hype.
Throughout his career, Diaz has continuously struggled against strong wrestlers with good submission defense. He hasn’t faced anyone close to that description since Gleison Tibau in November 2006.
In his grandiose 10-fight win streak, Paul Daley is the only top 10 name on that list.
Against the wishes of many UFC welterweights, White stuck his neck out for Diaz and offered him a big money fight against welterweight champion St-Pierre, who was coming off a lopsided unanimous decision win over Diaz’s teammate Jake Shields.
This was supposedly the fight Diaz had dreamed about. He was finally going to the main event: a major UFC pay-per-view card against arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
White even pulled him aside and spoke candidly about his expectations. He wanted Diaz to act professional, show up at press conferences and avoid getting into fights at events. White even paid for his plane tickets.
All Diaz had to do was show up and act like a professional, and he would’ve faced St-Pierre in the biggest payday of his professional career.
What did Diaz do?
He missed two scheduled press conferences and refused to return phone calls with a good reason for his absence.
Shields could teach Diaz a lesson in humility.
Despite the tragic death of his father, Shields continues to live up to his responsibilities as a professional MMA fighter. He could’ve opted out of his upcoming fight with Jake Ellenberger, and no fan or fighter would’ve dared to question him for it.
Yet Diaz just does what he wants.
This isn’t street fighting or a bar room brawl. If MMA is to be considered a sport, the athletes must act their parts. While Diaz drops F-bombs and flips off random people, there are fans out there that look up to him.
Without the fans, there would be no title shot for Diaz. Despite his padded streak, his résumé isn’t any more impressive than most upper-echelon UFC contenders.
The rarity of second chances in life makes seizing the moment on a first opportunity even more important.
Diaz missed out on a big opportunity to cash in against St-Pierre. He’ll now face another nightmare in former two-division champion B.J. Penn.
If Diaz loses to Penn, the slippery slope for the former Strikeforce champion could be steep, as the division is full of tough style matches.
Hopefully, Diaz remembers to catch a plane to Shields’ bout with Ellenberger on Saturday night. He could certainly learn a thing or two from a true professional.
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