Nick Diaz is well regarded as not only one of the best fighters in his class, but also one of the most exciting fighters, pound-for-pound.
That’s why it was an easy sell for president Dana White to bring the Strikeforce transplant into the UFC fold, pitting Diaz against champion Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title.
However, staying true to form, Diaz no-showed several pre-fight press junkets and was ultimately removed from the championship headliner at UFC 137, which takes place on October 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Carlos Condit was eventually named to fill in for Diaz, who was later re-booked to meet with ex-champ B.J. Penn in the co-main event of the evening.
Though White has had his fair share of problems dealing with the Stockton native as of late, his tune seemed to change during today’s pre-fight UFC 135 press conference.
The exec proclaimed that if there are no more mishaps, Diaz could find himself right back in line for a shot at the title, depending on the outcome of his match with Penn.
“I believe, and maybe I’m a little goofy here, I have a rapport with this kid, and that he and I can work together,” said White, who spoke with MMAJunkie.com following the presser.
The former Strikeforce champion has long played to the beat of his own drum, skipping conference calls, drug tests and a litany of other media appearances in preparation for upcoming bouts. It’s a whole different ballgame jumping up to the big leagues, which Diaz has found out the hard way.
Now that the Cesar Gracie protege and White have found common ground after the debacle, the head honcho knows he’s not out of the woods yet with Diaz, but believes he will now be able to navigate the situation better in the future.
The fact of the matter is that Diaz is a fighter people want to watch and it’s White’s responsibility to mix him up with world-ranked opposition.
“I’ve got to put the best in with the best. If he wins, I’m going to have to figure out how to deal with it. There’s always going to be issues with guys and always things to deal with, and that’s my job and that’s what I have to deal with,” said White.
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