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GSP vs. Diaz Results: What’s Next for Nick Diaz

In a world where Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz was the superfight that could change the course of the welterweight division, few were surprised to see the challenger taken down in the opening moments of the contest. Even fewer were surprised that Dia…

Immediately following a failed bid to win the UFC Welterweight Championship, the Stockton bad boy told Joe Rogan that he wasn’t sure if this sport is what he wants anymore.

However, this isn’t the first time that Diaz has “retired” from the sport that made him famous. In February 2012, a loss to Carlos Condit prompted the same outcome. For that reason, it’s safe to operate under the assumption that Diaz isn’t ready to hang up the gloves for good.

With the possibility that we didn’t just see Nick compete for the final time, it’s important to take a look at what fights lay before him.

The welterweight division is full of dangerous talent, including striker Martin Kampmann, jiu-jitsu phenom Demian Maia and surging contender Jake Ellenberger. A fight with any of those men could serve as a co-main event on any card.

However, a fighter the caliber of Diaz demands a special sort of opponent. Someone who is immediately recognized by fans but can compete on the elite level is a must.

For that reason, the best opponent for Nick Diaz is none other than Josh Koscheck.

Koscheck called out Diaz in October in hopes of booking himself in a big-name fight on Super Bowl weekend. However, Koscheck instead met Robbie Lawler in a fight where he fell prey to an upset loss.

Both Koscheck and Diaz have the abrasive type of personality that draws viewers in. Should a matchup be booked, fans would tune in to see their favorite “bad guy” get the beating he deserves.

This is a fight that Koscheck wants. Listen to him preview the matchup and you will be immediately excited to see it go down.

I feel it would be a great fight for the fans, with a great buildup, and Nick brings a lot to the table. He’s a good fighter. He’s tough. He has that tenacity where it’s ‘It’s me against the world and %$#$ you!’ I have the same attitude. I enjoy fighting people who have the same attitude because they are going to come in, never give up, and they are going to stand in front of you and fight. Nick Diaz will absolutely do that.

A win for either fighter gets them out of their current funk and puts some momentum at their back. With both pugilists at the end of their competitive prime, the UFC needs to strike while the iron is hot.

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UFC 158 Results: Recaping the Fight Night Bonuses

UFC 158 is now officially in the books. Georges St-Pierre retained his title with a unanimous decision victory over Nick Diaz, while 11 other bouts formed the supplementary action to the night’s main attraction.Among the supporting bouts was a pair of&…

Among the supporting bouts was a pair of welterweight scrums that had been billed as key to determining the future of the 170-pound division. While the fallout from Johny Hendricks vs. Carlos Condit and Nate Marquardt vs. Jake Ellenberger remains to be seen, we can be sure that those two contests factored prominently into the UFC 158 post-fight awards.

Read on to see which fighters took home which fight-night honors.

Knockout of the Night: Jake Ellenberger

It took all of three minutes for Jake Ellenberger to end Nate Marquardt‘s UFC comeback bid, smashing him with a combination of punches that collapsed the former Strikeforce champion against the fence. Marquardt protested the stoppage, but it was clear that he was out from the vicious flurry.

It was another highlight to add to Ellenberger‘s reel—one that makes him $50,000 richer.

Submission of the Night: None

UFC 158 lacked nothing for stoppages, but not one of the night’s finishes were of the submission variety.

I guess that means the promotion can pocket the $50,000 it had set aside for the purpose.

Fight of the Night: Johny Hendricks vs. Carlos Condit

Simply put, this fight was awesome. Hendricks earned the victory, but truly this was one without a loser.

Offensive outbursts from both parties, near finishes, a torrid pace, competitive action, serious title implications—Condit vs. Hendricks had it all.

The only thing that could possibly have made it better would have been two more rounds.

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Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz: Full Fight Video Highlights from UFC 158

Shocked would not describe the feeling of any fan of mixed martial arts after UFC 158. Maybe we were sold some of those infamous wolf tickets that Nick Diaz was talking about at the pre-fight presser, or maybe we convinced ourselves that Diaz had actua…

Shocked would not describe the feeling of any fan of mixed martial arts after UFC 158.

Maybe we were sold some of those infamous wolf tickets that Nick Diaz was talking about at the pre-fight presser, or maybe we convinced ourselves that Diaz had actually done what no previous opponent had ever done before, shake the champion’s normal cool.

Whatever the case, we got what—deep in the back of our minds—we knew we were going to get in the main event at UFC 158: a display of the strength and smothering wrestling skill that Georges St-Pierre has used so well to rack up wins as the UFC welterweight champion.

There was never really a point where Diaz was in this fight, as it was clear that whenever St-Pierre felt the least bit of pressure he could and would take Diaz down and hold him there. The only thing that Diaz could have used to win the fight was a straight-up, out-of-nowhere knockout punch, something that St-Pierre did not have to fear.

Maybe we didn’t get what we wanted, but we got what we expected, and I say that should be enough.

St-Pierre’s job is to hold on to that belt; he’s the king and he needs to defend that crown in any way possible. It’s St-Pierre’s opponent’s job to take that crown, and Diaz, just like many before him, wasn’t up to the task. We’ll see if the next man the UFC lines up against St-Pierre has what it takes.

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UFC 158 Results: Condit vs. Hendricks Full Fight Technical Breakdown

Before Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz graced the Octagon for UFC 158’s main event of the evening, top welterweight contenders Carlos Condit and Johny Hendricks competed in a wild affair that has to be considered as an early candidate for Fight of the …

Before Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz graced the Octagon for UFC 158‘s main event of the evening, top welterweight contenders Carlos Condit and Johny Hendricks competed in a wild affair that has to be considered as an early candidate for Fight of the Year.

Both guys entered the match with a reputation for finishing, and even though this one made it the distance, it was not for lack of aggression on the part of either fighter.

As per usual, Hendricks came out looking for his killer left hook, while Condit was submission hunting, and throwing knees and kicks with bad intentions. That either fighter survived the other’s onslaught is a testament to their respective skills.

When we look at the fight from a technical perspective, it’s clear what the difference-maker was—Hendricks’ wrestling. Sure, he gave pretty good on the feet, but after the first it was Condit getting the better of the exchanges for the most part.

It was just that every time Condit landed one of his knees or kicks, Hendricks scooped him up and slammed him right down. He didn’t do much when he had him down, but it was enough to get him two rounds on all of the judges’ scorecards.

The fight began with a typical Hendricks explosion, and for a second there, it looked like we might see a repeat of his destruction of Martin Kampmann. Condit recovered, however, and landed some of his own shots, including a hard knee-cross combo.

After the chaos of the opening melee settled, Hendricks began his wrestling dominance, dumping Condit. Condit immediately began threatening from his back though, and Hendricks had to play defense. That would prove a theme for the rest of the fight.

The capacity crowd hurrahed the action at the end of the first round, and for good reason. It was a wild battle with both combatants doing lots of damage.

Round 2 began with Hendricks resuming his search for that big left hook, and once again going to his wrestling when Condit survived. In this sense, it mirrored the first frame.

Condit once again did some damage on the feet and stifled Hendricks on the mat, but the very fact that he was on the mat would prove detrimental in the end.

After the second round, Hendricks told his corner that his left hand was likely broken, but he entered the third winging it with little regard. It didn’t do him much good, however, as Condit began finding his range more and more, and gained a decisive advantage in the exchanges.

The third frame was Condit‘s best, but it simply wasn’t enough. Hendricks’ superior wrestling and strength edge ensured that he could halt his opponent anytime the action began going south, and that’s just what he did.

In a way, Condit looked like the more impressive fighter tonight, but he had one fatal flaw and Hendricks was intelligent enough to exploit it.

It wasn’t Hendricks’ most impressive win, but it was an outstanding fight, one he was able to pull out almost entirely on the strength of a powerful double-leg takedown.

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UFC 158 Results: Georges St-Pierre Defeats Nick Diaz

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre defeated No. 1 contender Nick Diaz by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 158 Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.St-Pierre had the home-field advantage in Canada, but the defending …

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre defeated No. 1 contender Nick Diaz by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 158 Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.

St-Pierre had the home-field advantage in Canada, but the defending champion deserves all the credit for this hard-fought victory over a worthy opponent in Diaz.

Despite getting a rare reaction from St-Pierre during the conference calls leading into this fight (h/t Sherdog), Diaz understood that he was the underdog in this fight and was trying to gain any mental advantage he could.

While Diaz’s effort was valiant Saturday, it wasn’t enough to stop the title reign of St-Pierre.

The loss marks Diaz’s second straight in the UFC after winning his previous 11 MMA fights before dropping a decision to Carlos Condit in February of 2012.

There is no question that Diaz is still one of the toughest fighters in the world, but the depth and skill of the welterweight division either means the veteran has to make a change in his weight class or how he approaches fights in the Octagon.

This victory marks St-Pierre’s 11th in a row and the champion’s eighth successful title defense, launching him into the conversation as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in MMA history.

The UFC must find him another viable opponent to continue building on the momentum the welterweight champion has created during his reign.

That’s where Johny Hendricks comes into play again.

Hendricks defeated Condit earlier in the evening, and now he should be given the honor of taking on St-Pierre for the welterweight title.

If St-Pierre were to beat Hendricks, there would be no question that he would be the greatest welterweight fighter in MMA history.

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UFC 158: What We Learned From Jake Ellenberger vs. Nate Marquardt

In the first welterweight fight on the main card of UFC 158, Jake Ellenberger welcomed Nate Marquardt back to the UFC. While Marquardt looked good at the start, he felt just how hard Ellenberger can hit as Ellenberger ended the fight with ano…

In the first welterweight fight on the main card of UFC 158, Jake Ellenberger welcomed Nate Marquardt back to the UFC.

While Marquardt looked good at the start, he felt just how hard Ellenberger can hit as Ellenberger ended the fight with another first-round KO.

Ellenberger has now won his second straight fight and could be one away from a title shot.

What we’ll remember about this fight

We will remember just how powerful Ellenberger can be. Not that we forgot from his previous fights. But Ellenberger proved once again that he is one of the most dangerous fighters in the welterweight division.

What we learned about Ellenberger

Ellenberger is back on track after getting his title hopes derailed by Martin Kampmann. With the current state of the welterweight division, if Georges St-Pierre defeats Nick Diaz, Ellenberger will be one of the few welterweight contenders who have yet to face St-Pierre.

What we learned about Marquardt

Marquardt is not a bad fighter. He is a former Strikeforce champion and a former middleweight contender. Yet when it comes to big statement-making fights in the UFC, he just seems to come up short. Marquardt has been through a lot in his career, and if he is serious about making another title push, he will have to reassess his whole game.

What’s next for Ellenberger

Ellenberger may be a fight or two away from a title shot. Depending on how the rest of the night’s fights go, he could be facing Carlos Condit once again or the red-hot Demian Maia.

What’s next for Marquardt

Marquardt has now lost his second straight fight and could be out of the UFC once again with a third straight loss. Marquardt is still a big name just like Josh Koscheck, who has also lost two straight. They could meet in a loser-leaves-town match.

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