When UFC president Dana White announced that Nick Diaz had no-showed two press conferences and was therefore out of his fight with UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, many fans were and still are livid. However, they may not have a right to be; Nick Diaz’s stunt may be one of the most important actions in UFC history.
How could such a stupendously moronic crime help fulfill the destiny of the UFC?
Ever since the UFC started to gain traction with The Ultimate Fighter reality series, agitated fans have constantly called for the UFC to reform. People felt that the UFC reflected its targeted demographic, males ages 18-34, far too much.
The UFC went on its merry way and continued to grow while ignoring the doubters who said the UFC needed to change its ways.
Then Dana White got into some hot water when he went on a profanity-laden tirade against MMA reporter Loretta Hunt—a tirade which included an anti-gay slur. White issued an apology, but haters clamored for him to be removed as president and for the UFC to act “more professional.”
After this, the waters were calm for a while but the infamous “motorboat-gate“—an incident where former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson jokingly went to “motorboat” reporter Karyn Bryant—happened and angry fans were singing the same tune all over again.
It didn’t help matters when UFC commentator Joe Rogan called a reporter who criticized Jackson’s antics “all kinds of cunty.”
The common thread amongst all these problems is that fans have consistently said that for the UFC to be taken as seriously as other sports organizations, such as the NFL, it must act like those organizations.
By now, you might realize where Nick Diaz fits into all of this. Nick Diaz, by not showing up to two press conferences, finally gave the UFC the perfect situation in which to act like the major sports organization it aspires to be (and really already is in some ways).
Having Dana White step down as president or firing Rampage or Joe Rogan would’ve put a black eye on the UFC and would’ve alienated many UFC fans, who identify with such characters. It’s no secret that the UFC’s image was carefully crafted to appeal to the youth and to avoid being seen as dapper and corporate like Major League Baseball or the NFL.
The Diaz situation has given the UFC an out. They can be professional (and, most importantly, impress their new friends at FOX) by punishing Diaz but still keep its painstakingly maintained “cool” image. Even better, they can still keep Diaz and are having him fight B.J. Penn!
It’s truly a win-win situation for the UFC. They get to keep their exciting fighter, their image and all the while get to trumpet how stern they were and how their disciplinary policy is among the toughest in sports. All thanks to Nick Diaz’s desire to miss a “beauty pagent.”
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