Tag: boxing

(“Must…not…show…joy.” Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas.)

Nick Diaz came one step closer to his grumpy transition toward a boxing career today, as a press release was distributed claiming that Jeff Lacy has officially signed to box Diaz this fall. A former IBF super-middleweight champion, Lacy was one of the guys who Gary Shaw dismissed as an irrelevant opponent for Diaz, but when you have a 1-0 record in boxing (as Diaz does), beggars can’t be choosers. In fact, Diaz is just as irrelevant an opponent for Lacy when you think about it, but whatever.

No date or venue has been named yet, although the event will be titled “Breaking History.” (Good. As long as we have the important stuff locked down, everything else should fall into place on its own.) Said promoter Don Chargin in the press release: “This is a very dangerous fight for both men. Not only is this fight dangerous but stylistically it is very intriguing. I expected more resistance from fight fans and media in regards to this match-up but it’s amazing as to the hundreds of calls and e-mails I’ve received from fans on both sides wanting to see this match-up take place. I’ve received more than a few inquiries from some other very high-profile boxers that want to step up and fight Nick. Its been a real whirlwind…

“I’ve been around boxing for quite some time and I’ve seen a lot of great, tough fighters in my six decades within the sport. I believe that if Nick had been one of those kids who had picked up boxing from a youth, he’d undoubtedly be a world-champion today. Sometime within the next 2 weeks I’ll be personally making the trek to Cesar Gracie’s gym to set up a private, closed door sparring session between Nick and a few nameless top-level contenders I have in mind.”

Last month, Jeff Lacy responded quite positively to the news that Diaz wanted to fight him, saying:

“Honestly, I was a little stunned. Nick has accomplished a great deal in mixed martial arts and is certainly one of the best in the sport. But getting in the ring with me for a boxing match is a path he needs to be very wary of taking. I’m willing to put it all on the line anytime, anywhere!…For the right price, I’m more than interested in heading to his turf and put my fist in his mouth and silencing him.”

By the way, there hasn’t been an official statement from Nick Diaz or his camp yet confirming that they’ve signed for the fight, so take this press release with a grain of salt; as of this week, Cesar Gracie seemed to be angling for a fight between Diaz and GSP. UPDATE: Cesar Gracie tells MMAWeekly, “Yes, unless GSP is offered up as a sacrifice [by the UFC], Nick will fight Lacy.”

Related: The ‘Boxing vs. MMA’ Freak Show: A Video Timeline