Author: Darren Wong

UFC 139 Results: Should Dan Henderson and Shogun Rua Have an Immediate Rematch?

After UFC 139’s main event between Dan Henderson and Shogun Rua that has already been hailed as an instant classic, one has to ask if maybe a rematch is the best thing for all parties involved.While everybody can agree that it was a great fight, the de…

After UFC 139‘s main event between Dan Henderson and Shogun Rua that has already been hailed as an instant classic, one has to ask if maybe a rematch is the best thing for all parties involved.

While everybody can agree that it was a great fight, the decision will probably be disputed for a long time. Dan Henderson got the nod on all the scorecards of all three official judges at ringside, but the outcome was far from clear in the minds of so many fans and observers.

Many fans felt that Rua deserved at least a 10-8 final round that would have resulted in a draw for his stirring comeback effort. UFC President Dana White echoed that sentiment saying that he had the fight as a 47-47 draw.

Whatever your opinion on the actual scoring of the fight, I’m sure we can all agree that another five rounds of that wouldn’t hurt. In fact, another five rounds of that would be pretty awesome.

But is there a better alternative for either fighter or the UFC?

Dan Henderson appears to be very close to a title shot against either Anderson Silva or Jon Jones, but both champions already have more interesting challengers lined up with Chael Sonnen at middleweight and both Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans at light-heavyweight.

If Henderson waits for a title shot he will presumably have to wait around at least seven or eight months, which is a long time for a 40-year-old.

Outside of a title fight, there isn’t really any other super-interesting angle for Henderson other than Rua. Fights against Quinton Jackson and Forrest Griffin might be intriguing, but with both coming off one-sided losses, now isn’t the best time.

Fights with up-and-comers like Mo Lawal, Gegard Mousasi and Phil Davis could be competitive, but none of them would provide a particularly marketable angle for the UFC.

The same scenarios apply for Rua. To me, there are only two fights that interest me for Rua, and they are rematches against Quinton Jackson and Dan Henderson.

Given that the Henderson fight was far more competitive than Shogun vs. Jackson, I’ll take the Henderson rematch.

The other thing that I’d say is that the UFC would be wise to strike when the iron is hot.

When Quinton Jackson first fought Forrest Griffin, people were extremely excited about a rematch, but it never came together. If they fought now, much of the intrigue surrounding that belt has disappeared, especially considering how Griffin seems a shell of his former self.

Furthermore, at 40 years old, if Dan Henderson doesn’t have this rematch now, he probably never will.

Yes, he’d be risking his title shot, but it’s a risk well worth taking. For everybody involved.

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UFC 137 Aftermath: Nick Diaz Needs a New Manager

Cesar Gracie is Nick Diaz’s longtime trainer. He’s quite clearly a close friend, and in some ways, maybe even a surrogate father figure. But is he really a good manager for Stockton’s finest?When Nick Diaz skipped the press conference in Toronto last m…

Cesar Gracie is Nick Diaz‘s longtime trainer. He’s quite clearly a close friend, and in some ways, maybe even a surrogate father figure. But is he really a good manager for Stockton’s finest?

When Nick Diaz skipped the press conference in Toronto last month, Cesar Gracie’s defense of Diaz wasn’t exactly ironclad.

“Nick doesn’t really do the conference calls with a guy he’s fighting; he just never has,” Gracie then told reporters. “It’s just not in his psyche. He’s too busy training right now to answer any questions.”

Given the way he answered that question, I was none-too-surprised to hear that Diaz missed the next press conference.

What was surprising was Nick Diaz’s own remarks later that he never knew that he was doing a press conference in the first place. He thought he was skipping out on making a promo or something similar instead.

Later, Diaz nearly missed a conference call to promote his fight with BJ Penn and once again insisted that he knew nothing about it even though media members had already confirmed the night before that at least Cesar Gracie was aware of the appointment.

Some have gone as far as to say that this is all some new form of self-promotion, but I’m not buying it.

More than that, I think Diaz’s manager should bear at least some of the responsibility. I think Gracie knew about the press conferences and conference call but failed to do properly instruct Diaz on the importance of attending because he figured, “What’s the UFC going to do?”

It’s either that, or Gracie can’t get through to Diaz. Given their relationship, I’m betting on the former.

But more than just missing press conferences, Diaz needs a manager who can help him get his life together.

It seems like Diaz is constantly complaining that he doesn’t have a life outside of fighting, and that he is too busy training to get his life in order.

He needs to buy a house. He needs to get his driver’s license reinstated. He needs to find time to have a life.  A manager devoted to Nick Diaz could help with that.

This isn’t exactly the kind of job your average manager would do, but it’s certainly not unheard of.

“You want a house? Let’s go for a drive.”

“You want your license renewed? Sign here.”

These are realistic things that a manager could actually do.

The problem is that Cesar Gracie isn’t actually a professional manager. He’s a Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainer who has far too much other stuff going on to be able to bend to Diaz’s every whim.

For some fighters, a trainer/manager would be okay, but it’s clear that Diaz needs special attention. And Diaz certainly isn’t going to get that from Cesar Gracie.  After winning a title shot with Georges St-Pierre, Diaz certainly can afford to hire some extra help.

Shari Spencer, if you’re out there, it’s time you check to see what the weather is like in Stockton.

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UFC 137 Preview: Nick Diaz Is Trapped in MMA, Can’t Stop Fighting

Nick Diaz has said in recent interviews that he doesn’t want to fight anymore.He doesn’t like hurting people. He thinks that he doesn’t have a social life as long as he’s in MMA. He’d rather do triathlons if he had the choice.He doesn’t need MMA.Nick D…

Nick Diaz has said in recent interviews that he doesn’t want to fight anymore.

He doesn’t like hurting people. He thinks that he doesn’t have a social life as long as he’s in MMA. He’d rather do triathlons if he had the choice.

He doesn’t need MMA.

Nick Diaz has said all of these things, but despite all that, he said one other thing that is more salient—he doesn’t have enough money, and because of that, he can’t stop fighting right now if he wanted to.

And obviously, a part of him does want to quit, even if it’s more complicated than that.

But he can’t quit.

Even though Diaz has made a lot of money fighting, he has bills to pay and a whole life after fighting that he needs to be able to support.

It doesn’t help that, unlike some other MMA fighters, Diaz doesn’t have a day job or some other skill-set to fall back on.

Fighting is his life.

And even though fighting gave him everything he’s ever had, he doesn’t own fighting. Fighting owns him.

But is Diaz right?

Diaz’s resentment towards his occupation is understandable, but tons of other fighters are able to exist outside of fighting and don’t regard it as Diaz does.

It’s possible to me that in some parallel universe, Nick Diaz, the professional triathlete, is sick of running all day, but he talks in glossy-eyed fondness about his MMA hobby where he’s free to let his creative energy thrive.

But maybe I’m wrong.

If Diaz beats BJ Penn this weekend, a title shot with Georges St-Pierre will give him the kind of money one might need to retire and finally put the fight game in the rear-view mirror.

Perhaps then, Diaz would get to see if there really is life after the fight.

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UFC 137 Fight Card: There Will Be Blood in Penn vs. Diaz Bout

There’s been a distinct lack of animosity in the build-up between B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz. Friends Fighting FriendsDiaz seems almost to idolize Penn, and respects him for his aggressive fighting style and technical skills. More than that, Penn tra…

There’s been a distinct lack of animosity in the build-up between B.J. Penn and Nick Diaz.

 

Friends Fighting Friends

Diaz seems almost to idolize Penn, and respects him for his aggressive fighting style and technical skills. More than that, Penn trained with Ralph Gracie, and so Diaz identifies Penn as being from the same training lineage as himself.

Having trained with Penn before, Diaz wishes that he didn’t have to fight him.

Penn shares the feeling, but unlike Diaz, is far more open to fighting former training partners, putting aside that friendship for the sake of a fight that the fans want to see.

 

Enter Cesar Gracie

Thankfully, Diaz’s trainer and surrogate father, Cesar Gracie, is here to provide some much-needed tension to the fight.

Penn and Diaz were both initially hesitant to take the fight, but Gracie pushed for it. On the one side, Gracie’s influence convinced Diaz to take a fight that he never really wanted. On the other side, when Gracie denied pushing for the fight, he started a dispute between Penn and UFC president Dana White.

Since then, Gracie has been pushing for the fight to be extended to five rounds, which would favor Diaz, who is famous for his cardio. Penn didn’t like that very much, and has since said that he’s willing to fight Gracie for five rounds any time he wants.

Although Diaz might not read the news, it’ll be interesting to see how he handles the idea that Penn would fight his trainer. Diaz’s fierce loyalty to his trainer might finally get him to see Penn as a threat, rather than as a kindred spirit.

 

Why This Fight Will Be a Bloody War

Despite any feelings of brotherhood, this fight is literally going to be a bloody war, and I’ll tell you why.

We know that both Penn and Diaz fight with an aggressive style, but more than that, they’re both involved in a lot of bloody battles.

On one side of the Octagon, we have Diaz, whose skin is extremely prone to getting cut. He was once stopped as a result, losing his first encounter with K.J. Noons due to a bloody gash that could have obstructed his vision.

On the other side of the cage, we have Penn, who is notoriously good at cutting up his opponents. Penn’s fights with Joe Stephenson, Sean Sherk, Diego Sanchez and Georges St-Pierre (the first fight) were all bloody messes.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a with a fist, elbow or kick (or thumbnail)—Penn’s entire body is a sharp object.

I know that Diaz has had surgery to help alleviate his propensity for getting cut, but that didn’t stop Daley from cutting him open in their fight, and Penn hits with far more volume than Daley.

 

Prediction

Expect a high-paced and competitive battle ultimately ending with a third-round TKO victory for Penn due to cuts.

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UFC 137: Nick Diaz Talks About Fighitng Idol BJ Penn, Still Burns To Fight GSP

I must admit a bit prejudiced when it comes to Nick Diaz.When I used to watch Diaz interviews, I couldn’t help but see him as anything but a punk kid from Stockton representing the 209.I just couldn’t get images of him from his Robbie Lawler fight, yel…

I must admit a bit prejudiced when it comes to Nick Diaz.

When I used to watch Diaz interviews, I couldn’t help but see him as anything but a punk kid from Stockton representing the 209.

I just couldn’t get images of him from his Robbie Lawler fight, yelling “Stockton, mother(expletive)!” out of my head.

But sometimes a fighter is worth more than just a first impression, and I think that most certainly applies to Diaz.

A far more subdued than usual Diaz showed up to the open workouts this Wednesday, but before I get to analyzing the interview, I’d like to point out one thing.

Diaz will probably never make a whole lot of sense in interviews, but the reason for that isn’t widely appreciated. Although some people think it’s because he’s “authentic” or whatever, I think the reason is more complicated.

I don’t know if it’s his attention deficit disorder, the cannabis he takes for his ADD or something else, but Diaz often doesn’t properly understand the questions being asked and his mind wanders so much that his words come out like a stream of consciousness, lacking any organization of cohesive theme.

His thoughts are so disordered that he occasionally contradicts himself mid-sentence, like when he once stated that he was paid too much but not enough.

In this particular interview, Diaz touched upon many of the themes in his life, his attitude on fighting, and his future in the sport of MMA. Some of it may need translation.

 

On BJ Penn

Diaz made no attempts to hide the fact that he’s pretty uneasy about the prospect of facing one of his idols, BJ Penn, who he greatly admires and respects unlike any opponent he’s fought before.  He also feels like Penn belongs in the same lineage as himself.

Diaz said that he didn’t want to fight Penn, but was talked into it by his team and Dana White. He said that he wouldn’t have signed for the fight if Penn hadn’t signed first.

Diaz even went so far as to say that his admiration and friendship with Penn may affect the way he fights saying, “It’s more of a sporting competition this time around.”

 

On His Team

Even though he’s on the verge of starring in the main event, Diaz still managed to find time to praise his team, his training partner and his brother, all of whom “mean the world” to him.

 

On GSP

Although the fight with Penn looms closer, Diaz’s mentions of St-Pierre show that the champ is still on Diaz’s mind. In short, Diaz wants GSP money.

 

On His Future in Fighting

Although at one point Diaz stated that this could be his last fight and that he doesn’t need fighting, those words contradicted a statement earlier in the interview where he said that he doesn’t have enough money and therefore couldn’t quit MMA even if he wanted to do so.

MMA is a weird trap for Diaz because although he enjoys fighting, the fact that it’s become his job takes the fun out of it. And the fact that fighting is the only thing he knows how to do makes MMA inescapable.

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UFC 137 Is a "Make-or-Break" Fight for Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz’s long-awaited big show return at UFC 137 was supposed to be his payday. Instead, Diaz faces a make-or-break crossroads.Before Diaz was poached from Strikeforce, he was the big fish in a little pond.Nick Diaz had long felt under-appreciated i…

Nick Diaz‘s long-awaited big show return at UFC 137 was supposed to be his payday. Instead, Diaz faces a make-or-break crossroads.

Before Diaz was poached from Strikeforce, he was the big fish in a little pond.

Nick Diaz had long felt under-appreciated in Strikeforce. As Strikeforce’s champion, he felt envious of Georges St-Pierre for the millions of dollars he had earned in the UFC and ranted frequently on the subject.

UFC president Dana White heard those rants, and following Diaz’s electrifying win over Paul Daley, White told Diaz that his dreams were about to come true. Diaz could have that fame and have that money.

Take every payday he’d ever made and that would pale in comparison to what he’d make by fighting St-Pierre.  All he had to do was “play the game just this much” by showing up to press conferences and doing all the PR stuff expected in high-profile fights.

And so the fight was made. Fans everywhere were excited about seeing the smooth and polished Georges St-Pierre pitted against the raw and uncut Nick Diaz.

Two missed press conferences later and Diaz was out of the title fight with his seven-figure pay deal rendered null and void. Apparently, the pressure of the main event was too much for him, according to White. Carlos Condit would get the title shot and Diaz would fight BJ Penn instead.

A million dollars evaporated faster than you can say, “Sorry I missed your beauty pageant.”

And then St-Pierre sprained his knee.

In an ironic twist of fate, Diaz found his way back into the main event spotlight for which White said he wasn’t ready.

Still, the payday isn’t what it would have been had he fought St-Pierre. He’ll have to beat Penn to get that opportunity, which is why this fight is so important for Diaz.

Should Diaz win, he’ll most likely have secured a title shot along with all the money, fame and promotional backing that comes along with it.

Losing, on the other hand, would be a big blow to his career.

Gone is the cult following that goes along with being a Strikeforce champion “rebelling” against the UFC. Diaz is now just another UFC fighter.

If Diaz loses now, he’ll also lose the hype that went along with going undefeated for four years.

More than that, if Diaz loses, people are going to write off his recent successes as being due to favorable matchups and not facing any strong wrestlers, who were like Kryptonite for Diaz in his first UFC run.

In general, it’ll be back to the drawing board and back to the end of the long line of contenders in the extremely deep UFC welterweight division.

Getting a title shot then won’t mean just getting one victory; It’ll mean putting together a string of wins over wrestlers like Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and Jake Ellenberger.

It’ll be a long, hard road if Diaz loses this weekend.

But then again Diaz has never done things the easy way.

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