Nick Diaz is making it a habit of announcing retirement plans in the immediate wake of virtually any loss sustained.
He voiced such thoughts after dropping a decision to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, and issued an echo following his unanimous decision loss to champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158—an opinion that’s since been refuted by Diaz’s trainer Cesar Gracie, who spoke on the MMA Hour yesterday noting that, “He wants big fights. Like, guys in the news that people are talking about. He wants big fights to motivate himself.”
I get it, I really do: Diaz is highly frustrated in those agonizing moments of defeat. The dejected feeling that comes with losing anything competitive in nature aches. It digs deep, saddens you and infuriates simultaneously.
Diaz’s pain is the same pain felt by any man to invest weeks on end in the gym, doing everything possible to prepare yourself to enter a cage with a smile and exit with a victory. But not everyone allows their emotions to pour from their mouths with reckless abandon.
I think Diaz could benefit from a little sports psychology and maybe some public relations advice. That may actually tweak his personality so much that his bad boy appeal diminishes, but I doubt it. This man is magnetic.
We’re all dying to see what Diaz will do or say next, and that—coupled with some stellar skills as a fighter—is what keeps people forking out money to see the Stockton representative enter the cage to wage war.
But after repeated announcements and hints at exiting the sport, questions start to roam the mental cavities. Is the world tired of hearing Diaz cry wolf? Would the world prefer to bypass future tirades and see the man hang his gloves up for good?
Personally, I’d like to see Diaz compete for another decade. I think he’s got the tools to be a perennial top-10 welterweight and pick up plenty of big wins inside the Octagon, and his persona is absolutely fascinating. If this man had a reality show, ratings would be off the charts.
So, the obvious question isn’t whether or not I would prefer to see Diaz retire. I’ve addressed that clearly. I want to see the man continue on in his march for greatness as a professional fighter.
The question is: would you prefer to see Diaz exit the sport at this point in his career?
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