Was anybody really surprised that Nick Diaz retired the way he did?
The Stockton, CA, native has a penchant for the dramatic, which was not unlike his most recent escapades in the media following his controversial loss to Carlos Condit.
Diaz was last seen inside the Octagon on February 4 where “The Natural Born Killer” edged Nick by circling away from the cage and out landing Diaz with slapping low kicks.
Though Diaz was the consummate aggressor and had Condit back-mounted in the final round, it was not enough to persuade the judges, who awarded Condit the decision unanimously.
Soon after the decision was read, Diaz respectfully congratulated his opponent before bursting out in a typical-Diaz tirade:
“I’m not going to accept the fact that this was a loss,” said Diaz whilst inside the Octagon for the usual post-fight interview.
“I’ve lost fights before, where, uh, ya know, like, I’m not going to accept that either. That ain’t right. I pushed him back the whole fight. I walked him down. I got the take down. I’m the guy who went out on top…Hey Carlos is a great guy, I’m happy for him and his family. I think I’m done with this MMA. It’s been great out here. I’ve had a good career. You guys pay me way too much. But I don’t think I’m going to get enough to keep going in this…You know I don’t need this (expletive).”
With another memorable speech turned in, Diaz left the MMA world on his own terms. Having cultivated a loyal fan following, the Gracie Fighter has become one of the sports leading men in the welterweight class.
All the while, Diaz turned in aesthetically pleasing performances time and time again, though he really turned heads last October when he bested former champion BJ Penn at UFC 137.
The pay-per-view event marked the highly anticipated return of Nick, who was fresh off his stint with Strikeforce, where he captured the organization’s 170-pound title, having defended it three times in consistently exciting battles.
The victory over Penn helped secure Diaz, on most polls, as the No. 2 fighter in the world.
It may fail in comparison to earning UFC gold or being coveted as the No. 1 fighter in your division, but if it’s good enough for Diaz, then it should serve as a good ending for the sport’s most enigmatic fighter.
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