Looks like Nick Diaz’s challenge to Anderson Silva wasn’t so absurd after all, at least not according to Anderson Silva’s camp.
That’s what Diaz trainer Cesar Gracie told journalist Ariel Helwani during Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour broadcast.
“His people are into it,” Gracie said of Team Silva. “We’re into it. The fans, I think, would be into it. We’ve got to convince [UFC President] Dana [White] about it now. Obviously the fight that makes sense to them, and I don’t disagree, is Anderson-Georges St-Pierre…That would be great to watch. But let’s get real. If GSP just absolutely says no, then what? You can’t make a guy fight. That’s the thing. And Anderson, if they want to promote a superfight and the stars align, I think Nick would be into it.”
Back in July, Gracie first floated the idea of a Diaz-Silva superfight, which would take place after Diaz returns in February from a one-year suspension he received after testing positive for marijuana metabolites. The test followed a Diaz loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143. Gracie even went so far as to say Diaz would move up to 185 pounds to challenge the reigning middleweight champ. White has previously rejected the idea.
If Silva is not possible, Gracie said Diaz would like to challenge welterweight champ St-Pierre, for whom he holds a long-simmering grudge.
“We’re pushing for the GSP fight,” Gracie said. “That’s what we’re going to push for, GSP or Anderson Silva. That’s the two fights that interest us the most, and that’s the one’s we’re going for.”
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