Nick Diaz hasn’t spoken to Dana White regarding UFC 158, even declining to answer his boss’ calls and texts.
“Nick Diaz doesn’t return my calls, my texts, nothing,” the UFC president told Middle Easy. “You don’t have to call me, you don’t have to text me, but you do have to show up to the press conference,” he said.
Sadly, this kind of behavior isn’t new.
Diaz was scheduled to face UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137, but he no-showed two press conferences for the event. It was Diaz‘s disappearance at the second presser in Las Vegas that earned the ire of Dana White.
It was a conundrum. Diaz‘s manager, Cesar Gracie, even called White during the press conference. Meanwhile, Nick Diaz released a bizarre YouTube video of himself driving around and muttering.
White ultimately took Diaz‘s title shot away and awarded it to Carlos Condit.
However, St-Pierre ended up injuring his knee and was unable to fight. Instead, Diaz was given a fight against BJ Penn and promoted to the main event.
Hopefully, White’s recent words on Diaz aren’t prophetic of yet another ditched press conference.
“I would be blown away if he did it twice. It just wouldn’t be a good move,” White said regarding Diaz no-showing UFC 158 media obligations.
“[Diaz] isn’t a fan of the pre-fight promotion, but you have to do it. You have to do it. Whether you’re Nick Diaz or Anderson Silva, whoever you are, it’s in your contract,” he said.
If Diaz again decides to leave members of the press gawking at his empty chair, White won’t pull any punches.
“You can actually be cut. We can cut you for that,” said White. “I proved that you will be punished if you don’t show up to those things, if you don’t do it. You either won’t fight the big fight that you were supposed to fight or you’ll be cut.”
Nick Diaz simply must attend his media obligations this time around. The fate of a highly anticipated fight (as well as a big payday for the UFC) is resting on his shoulders.
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