It’s been a strange few weeks here in the mixed martial arts world, and Nick Diaz is to thank for that.
The Stockton native was originally scheduled to face reigning UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. The two were to serve as the main event of the evening for UFC 137, which takes place on October 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
However, after Diaz no-showed several pre-fight press junkets leading up to the match, the UFC deemed the Gracie fighter unfit to carry headlining duties and replaced him with Carlos Condit in the the pay-per-view headliner.
Eventually, Diaz was re-booked for a welterweight clash against BJ Penn at UFC 137, where the two will engage in a fan-friendly bout that has only been speculative until now.
Diaz, the former Strikeforce titleholder, has proven to be a touted submission specialist with a penchant for punching people in the face. Diaz has worked under the tutelage of Cesar Gracie, and the Brazilian has guided Diaz’s career to amazing heights, having the Californian work with high-caliber training partners, including pound-for-pound boxing great Andre Ward, a gold medalist in the Olympic games in 2004.
The training has paid off in spades, with Diaz becoming arguably the best striker in the 170-pound class, knocking out knockout artists such as Marius Zaromskis and Paul Daley in very impressive fashion.
Diaz’s willingness to engage opponents on the feet is perhaps a result of his otherwise less-than-stellar takedown skills, though it’s proven to be one of the biggest assets in his arsenal.
While both Zaromskis and Daley have proven to be touted strikers in their own right, neither can perhaps compare to BJ Penn, who is regarded as the best boxer in mixed martial arts—this coming from the prolific boxing trainer Freddie Roach, who has worked with the Hawaiian on several occasions.
Penn utilizes a stinging jab to set up powerful combinations that have wilted some tough opposition in the past, including Caol Uno and former champions Sean Sherk and Matt Hughes.
In this Diaz-Penn, you have two of the most exciting fighters in our sport who loathe the lay and prayers, wrestlers, stallers, etc.
They are both combatants who come to fight, and because of this they feel an obligation to bring the best out of one another. For that reason, and that reason alone, this fight will turn into a stand-up affair that is already a shoe-in for “Fight of the Night” honors.
Though there is a lot at stake here for both men, as either can easily slide back into title contention with a win, this bout can and will live up to the making of a glorified boxing match.
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