December might be the busiest month in the calendar year for the UFC. That’s not solely because of the number and frequency of shows, although there’s that. It’s also because news regarding future UFC match-ups is breaking left and right. None are more important than UFC 158’s Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz bout.
Frankly speaking, I’m against it. That may sound crazy if you followed my support of the Chael Sonnen vs. Jon Jones fight. It sounds downright hypocritical. To some degree, it still is. But my support for that fight was predicated on the idea that doing a non-competitive, non-defensible fight (on sporting criteria) was acceptable if it was a one-off for the next few years. It appears that in a post-Sonnen vs. Jones world, the only logic that matters in making fights now is whatever one can use to convince the other it’s a good idea or to be a willing customer.
I also don’t find the bout to be particularly competitive. Diaz’s best win is over Penn, which while respectable (particularly for its brutality), is not tantamount to a top 10 victory. In fact, I struggle to think of a single top ten competitor Diaz has defeated. Even supporters of this bout should acknowledge the primary motivation behind making it is the slightly more than marginal difference in monetary gain were GSP to face Johny Hendricks instead.
So, in terms of today’s chat, anything is up for discussion, but I will lead with this and it all kicks off at 12 p.m. ET.
As is customary, I’ll post the video window here as the event draws near and I’ll answer any questions you may have if you post them in the comments section below.
If you want to join me on Google+ and let everyone see your face, now you can. Go to today’s livechat Google + page. If you’re interested, drop a note and I’ll add you to my circles. Once you’re in, I can invite you through to the chat. Just want to participate in the comments? No problem. Participate however you feel most comfortable.