Former WEC champion Urijah Faber recently appeared on ESPN1100 to talk boxing. The conversation started off centered around Manny Pacquiao and his fight with Shane Mosley and then turned to more MMA related subjects.
The boxing-based conversation didn’t take long to turn to Nick Diaz, the Strikeforce welterweight champion who has recently signed on to fight former IBF champion Jeff Lacy.
Faber had the following to say about Diaz making the jump to boxing: “Diaz is a good example, when you take a strong mindset, you look at a champion in any sport, it’s the mindset that makes them a champion. If they dedicate themselves to learning the skills then it’s a battle of willpower and heart.”
As to why Diaz would want to box, Faber thinks it is based around the desire for a bigger payday: “Nick is a competitor, I’ve been a big fan of Nick Diaz. The bottom line is that guy is a guy that’s been in some serious battles and put in some serious time and has made a decent living, but definitely deserves more money, and I think that’s what he’s really talking about.”
Faber then said that he hoped that UFC president Dana White would “step up” in regard to keeping Diaz out of boxing and just involved with MMA.
Faber then talked about the UFC’s wanting to put Diaz on a dating show when he fought for the promotion in the past, “I remember Diaz telling me years ago how they punished him for not going on that dating show they were having a couple of fighters go on. They would go on this dating show, [the UFC] wanted him on there for publicity. Nick had a girlfriend at the time and he wouldn’t do it.”
Faber is scheduled to meet UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz in the main event at UFC 132, which will take place on July 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
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