(“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein, clearly foreshadowing the career of Nate Diaz.)
You remember how we previously discussed the wolfpack-like sense of loyalty that seems to exist between the members of Team Cesar Gracie? Or how they would rather retire than face another member of their loyal platoon in glorious mixed martial arts competition? Well, since Nate Diaz’s training partner/homeboy Gil Melendez is fighting Ben Henderson at UFC on FOX 7 this weekend and is going to win the fight with 100% certainty (and the fight after that, and the fight after that…), the former #1 contender might as well get to steppin’. That’s according to him, at least:
I’m not huntin’ (the title) right now, honestly. My boy is about to put it down and hold the belt for the next … I don’t even know how long. I’m probably gonna bail up outta this weight division as soon as this fight is done. I fought everybody at lightweight already.
That’s right, despite compiling an 9-4 UFC record at lightweight that included a(n unsuccessful) title shot against Ben Henderson last December, Diaz is presumably headed back to the division that saw him score wins over a couple of guys who have since been fired and get absolutely manhandled by Dong Hyun Kim and Rory MacDonald. Pardon my language, but boy, you have smoked yourself retarded.
Although this statement not only lowers the stakes of Diaz’s clash with Josh Thomson on Saturday, but drowns them in a tub and throws them out with the trash, it does kind of make you wonder who the UFC will throw him next in either case. Since the organization has recently established that a win is a win regardless of what weight class it comes in, should Nate defeat a former Strikeforce title challenger like Thompson impressively, you’d think they’d match him up against a mid-to-upper level welterweight — the winner of the Brown/Mein fight, perhaps. But if Diaz loses…what’s Papy Abedi up to these days?