Back up the Brinks truck.
That, in a nutshell, is the Nick Diaz response to reports that Anderson Silva, the former UFC middleweight champion and greatest MMA fighter of all time, might be interested in facing Diaz upon Silva’s return to the Octagon in early 2015.
MMA broadcaster Ariel Helwani passed along that news Wednesday on the UFC Tonight cable TV program (h/t Dave Doyle of MMAFighting).
According to Helwani, Diaz, perhaps less averse to blunt statements than the average fighter or human being, indicated he would face Silva if the price is right. Diaz has been in a state of semi-retirement since losing a welterweight title fight to then-champ Georges St-Pierre in March 2013.
Still, Diaz (26-9-1) remains quite popular with hardcore fight fans, thanks largely to his savantish boxing style, in-cage braggadocio, microphone candor and general eccentricity. Though he is reticent with the media, there have been steady indications (like that offered Wednesday) that he would return to competition for a title shot, large payday or both.
Speaking Monday on The MMA Hour broadcast hosted by Helwani (h/t Shaun Al-Shatti), Silva manager Ed Soares revealed the fighters—Diaz among them—that Silva would be open to fighting up on his return. Silva (33-6) is currently recovering from a terrible leg fracture suffered in a middleweight title rematch with Chris Weidman last December.
“There’s Michael Bisping, there’s Cung Le, even Nick Diaz,” Soares said. “Nick Diaz has said he’s wanted to fight him before. Nick Diaz wanted to box Roy Jones Jr. You could argue that Nick Diaz and Anderson probably have some of the best boxing in MMA, so we’ll see what happens.”
If Silva does indeed re-enter the cage in early 2015, he will be nearing his 40th birthday. Diaz, 30, will have lost about two years of MMA competition if that timeline holds true and the fight does take place. Of course, at the moment, it is anybody’s guess what will actually happen, given the high number of variables involved.
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