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UFC 137: Does Nick Diaz Really Have a Shot Against BJ Penn?

Before I even start, I feel like I should let it be known that I’m a huge Nick Diaz fan. My desktop background is the infamous picture of Diaz giving Frank Shamrock the finger before their Strikeforce bout. I constantly throw my buddies in submis…

Before I even start, I feel like I should let it be known that I’m a huge Nick Diaz fan.

My desktop background is the infamous picture of Diaz giving Frank Shamrock the finger before their Strikeforce bout. I constantly throw my buddies in submissions and scream “209” and I am even a proud owner of a “Don’t Be Scared, Homie” t-shirt.

Obviously, I think Diaz is a hell of a fighter.

But over the last few months I’ve seen fans and MMA journalists alike try to convince me that Diaz was going to beat Georges St-Pierre, and once the matchup was switched, BJ Penn.

And with all the Diaz love that I have, I’ve had the same reaction every time: Seriously?

No one can deny that Diaz is an extremely entertaining fighter, and he is obviously talented both standing up and on the mat, but is he really on the level of two of the greatest fighters of all time?

The St-Pierre argument was mostly to convince people to buy PPVs and I understand that, but everyone saying that Diaz has a chance against Penn is insane.

Where does Diaz have an advantage against Penn? Absolutely nowhere.

If the fight stays on the feet, Penn having been called the best boxer in MMA by famed boxing coach Freddie Roach, and for good reason, is relevant.

Penn is the owner of one of the best jabs in the business and is nearly impossible to hit, but perhaps more important, he can explode on an opponent in a moment’s notice.

Watch Penn’s fight with Matt Hughes at UFC 123 to see how quickly he can take out an opponent.

If Diaz somehow drags the fight to the mat—which is unlikely considering Penn’s superior takedown defense—the fight is supposed to be even since they both have BJJ blackbelts.

People seem to have forgotten that Penn is one of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world, having earned his black belt in just three years and winning the world championships shortly after.

That’s not to say that Diaz can’t catch him on the mat. After all he’s a highly skilled BJJ guy himself, but it is unlikely that he can pull it off.

Throw in Penn’s wrestling ability, which he used successfully during the first round of his fight with Jon Fitch earlier this year, and there is almost nowhere that Diaz has the advantage.

Diaz is a fantastic fighter and one of the most polarizing fighters in the sport, but let’s face it—he’s not even on Penn’s level.

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JWoww Adjusting Her Bikini Top Brings You the Fix Friday Link Dump

A bunch of T and A photos of Ms. TapouT turned Pro Elite Ring Girl, Jennifer Swift: here. Yet another change in the UFC 137 main card line-up as Brad Tavares is injured, thus yanking.

A bunch of T and A photos of Ms. TapouT turned Pro Elite Ring Girl, Jennifer Swift: here.

Yet another change in the UFC 137 main card line-up as Brad Tavares is injured, thus yanking his fight with Dustin Jacoby. Scott Jorgenson vs. Jeff Curran bumps up to pay-per-view and Jacoby will fight Clifford Starks in place of Tavares on the prelim-card. Confused? Read it: here.

TUF 13 winner, Tony Ferguson will face Yves Edwards at TUF 14 Finale event: here.

Chael Sonnen to host 2011 World MMA Awards this November 30th! That ought to make us actually watch the show!: here.

Watch Pat Barry and Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic sing “California Dreaming” because it’s only a minute long and if you’ve already seen Anderson Silva dance with Justin Bieber you have no excuse not to watch this. Plus, Cro Cop can carry a tune!: here.

The new UFC 137: BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz trailer: here.

WTF! I have DirecTV… And it may no longer offer Fox Network or its subsidiaries starting November 1st: here.

Enjoy pics of JWoww in her bikini below and get her “workout tips for having gravity defying boobs” (apparently, you don’t just buy them, you have to work at them): here.

UFC 137 Fight Card: Nick Diaz Focused on BJ Penn, Still Needs to Get Paid

Former Strikeforce welterweight champion and challenger to Georges St-Pierre, Nick Diaz, is set to make his return to the UFC next weekend at UFC 137 against B.J. Penn.Diaz’s fight with Penn has all the makings of what could be one of the best fights o…

Former Strikeforce welterweight champion and challenger to Georges St-Pierre, Nick Diaz, is set to make his return to the UFC next weekend at UFC 137 against B.J. Penn.

Diaz’s fight with Penn has all the makings of what could be one of the best fights of the year. Diaz though, has never really cared much about his Strikeforce belt.

“I haven’t really though about anything. I’m just fighting,” said Diaz in an interview with Fightline.com. “I’m not trying to get all crazy, I need to get paid.

I’m gonna show up and make weight. Then I’m gonna fight. I don’t really think about all that…I could give a s***. I never put that belt on anyways, he can have the belt.”

Diaz and Penn match up very well against each other. Both fighters possess the tools to win on the ground or standing. Just don’t ask Diaz how he thinks the fight will play out. In the end, it is still a fight to him.

“It’s a fight, man,” Diaz said. “You know what I mean? That’s not really what matters…I think this fight can go everywhere. Anything can happen, it’s MMA.”

Since GSP pulled out of his second fight of the year against Carlos Condit, Diaz has once again earned a spot in the main event.

This sets to be the toughest fight Diaz has ever had with the winner possibly getting a shot against the winner of GSP versus Condit.

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BJ Penn vs Nick Diaz: A Career Timeline to UFC 137

UFC 137 has been somewhat of a moving target this month, as fighters and main events for the card have been flipped, tossed and turned due to fighter irresponsibility and injury.We now have our main event set as “The Prodigy” BJ Penn will face off agai…

UFC 137 has been somewhat of a moving target this month, as fighters and main events for the card have been flipped, tossed and turned due to fighter irresponsibility and injury.

We now have our main event set as “The Prodigy” BJ Penn will face off against former Strikeforce champion, and the best fighter outside the UFC, in Nick “No Show” Diaz. Something or someone was looking out for me in all this activity, as we now have a main event with my two favorite fighters of all time.

I have spent years following the respective careers of these two fighting pioneers, so I thought it would be cool to look at a parallel timeline between these two men and follow the career path that brought each of them to this fight on October 29th, 2011

Penn is 32 years old and Diaz is 28, so it should be interesting to look at the two paths to UFC 137.

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UFC 137: Nick Diaz, Matt Mitrione and Roy Nelson Will Shine

Believe it or not, UFC 137 will go on without Georges St. Pierre. When news came from Dana White that GSP had injured his knee and was pulling out of his fight with Carlos Condit, I immediately began to hear from “fans” that this card now “sucked.” These “fans” would even go so far as to say the card should be moved to Spike and shown for free. Are we looking at the same card?

One of the great things about the UFC is that a PPV event isn’t ruined if a fighter in the main event can’t fight. Today’s pool of UFC fighters is so deep that each card can still hold it’s $55 value even without the scheduled main event. Yes, GSP is out, but let’s take a look at what we have coming up on October 29th:

Main Event: BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz

BJ is coming off a less than exciting draw with Jon Fitch. Previous to that, he had a knockout win over a fading Matt Hughes and two decision losses to Frankie Edgar. It has been nearly two years since BJ’s last impressive victory, which was over Diego Sanchez at UFC 107.

Nick Diaz hasn’t lost a fight since 2007, but he hasn’t been competing against the UFC roster for four years. There were times during his last fight against Paul Daley where I thought he was going down, only to turn things around in that one round fight and score the TKO.

BJ is only 32 years old, but I get the sense he is on his way out. Although Diaz is a loose cannon, at 28 years old, he is finally back in the spotlight of the UFC and this is his time to shine.

PICK: Nick Diaz by TKO (2nd Round)

Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione

Kongo recently completed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the UFC. In the first round against Pat Barry, he was being knocked all over the place. At one point, he looked like a slinky in the octagon. Somehow he pulled it together and knocked out Barry in dramatic fashion. If you still have the fight on your DVR, play it in slow-mo and watch the expression of the Octagon Girls as Kongo completes the knockout; it is classic.

Is there anybody in the UFC more surprising than Matt Mitrione? The way he has gone from a goof on TUF 10, to what appears to be a refined MMA fighter in such a short time is astonishing. Matt is now 5-0 in the UFC but is fighting a “name” for the first time.

If this fight is classified as a “Co-Main Event” then we may be in store for one of the most unique stare downs we’ll ever see. Cheick Kongo has one of the deadliest stares, and Matt Mitrione is always smiling, the combination of the two will make for a good laugh. As far as the fight goes, I think it comes down to who has the toughest chin. Although Kongo did come back and win against Barry, he sure did go down initially like a ton of bricks.

PICK: Matt Mitrione by TKO (2nd Round)

Mirko Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson

Cro Cop jumped into the UFC with much fanfare in 2007. Since then, he has compiled a record of 4-5 in the Octagon. Interestingly enough, he’s also had three fights outside of the UFC during this time and is 2-0 with 1 NC. For one reason or another, he isn’t consistent in the UFC. He is coming off KO losses to Brendan Schaub (UFC 128), and Frank Mir (UFC 119).

Big Country is carrying a 2-2 UFC record heading into this fight and he needs to win badly. While Roy has lost his last two fights, they have been against top tier opponents (Frank Mir, Junior Dos Santos) and he didn’t get knocked out or submitted.

Big Country may be sending Cro Cop out of the UFC Saturday night. I do think Roy can win by knockout, but both fighters may be near the top of the UFC cut list, and this could result in them dancing around more than usual.

PICK: Roy Nelson by Unanimous Decision

The Rest of the Card:

Brad Tavares vs. Dustin Jacoby (PPV)

Hatsu Hioki vs. George Roop (PPV)

Dennis Siver vs. Donald Cerrone (Spike)

Tyson Griffin vs. Bart Palaszewski (Spike)

Scott Jorgensen vs. Jeff Curran (Facebook)

Brandon Vera vs. Eliot Marshall (Facebook)

Ramsey Nijem vs. Danny Downes (Facebook)

Chris Camozzi vs. Francis Carmont (Facebook)

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MMA Link Club: Subs Gone Bad, Nick Diaz, BJ Penn, Roy Nelson and More

When Good Submissions Go Bad: Six Fighters Who Ignored the Tap – (Cage Potato)“A lot of people have asked me about me holding the choke on [Jens Pulver] and if I felt I held it too long, and my answer has been the same since day one: I didn&rsquo…

When Good Submissions Go Bad: Six Fighters Who Ignored the Tap – (Cage Potato)

“A lot of people have asked me about me holding the choke on [Jens Pulver] and if I felt I held it too long, and my answer has been the same since day one: I didn’t hold it long enough.” — BJ Penn

Dan “Punkass” Caldwell from The TapouT Crew at NYCC 2011 – (The Fight Nerd)

“I think Kenny [Florian] is a really exciting fighter in his past matches, he just needs to fight the right people… me personally, I think the 155 lb. division looks a little more inviting again. I think he should go back to 155 and try his hand there. Some of those guys would match up better with his style.”

TUF Enough: MMAmania interview exclusive with UFC 137‘s Roy Nelson – (MMA Mania)

“I feel standing, like I think I’ve stood up with some of the best heavyweights in the world. I stood up with Junior [dos Santos] so like, I think I might regress for this fight and go back to my roots, go back to my first five or six wins were all submissions. Maybe I’ll regress in the chain of being an MMA fighter.”

The Lost Victims of the Injury Bug – (MMA Convert)

“Everyone groans and exclaims when the big names get injured—there’s still weeping to be heard over Georges St. Pierre’s forced exit from UFC 137, and sobs can be heard all around the world over the news that Shane Carwin and Rich Franklin are both on ice over back- and shoulder injuries. But the Dreaded Injury Bug has bitten others, too. And while they may be lesser-known victims, sidelined from their participation in organizations that receive only a modicum of exposure and don’t employ an Octagon as a field of battle, these injured fighters’ absences from promised competition are woes that do still reverberate, albeit on a much smaller scale. So let us acknowledge them, here and now, and recognize that their loss to their respective organizations’ rosters does have an impact on us. They are the lost victims of the injury bug.”

The Nick Diaz Phenomenon – (MMA Fighting)

“For years, Nick Diaz has been an enigma to many on the outside looking in. His friends and teammates say he is fiercely loyal, hard-working and yes, even kind-hearted. But we rarely see that side of him. The public face of Diaz is usually scowling, irritable and contemptuous.”

Chuck Zito talks about Joe Palooka, falling out with Charlie Sheen and everything MMA in this interview – (MIddle Easy)

“I’ve been doing mixed martial arts before MMA was even born. The UFC started in 1993, I went to the first UFC fight that was in Denver, Colorado and there was only 20 people in the audience. I’ve been following the UFC since the beginning. I tried to make all the fights, but now it’s so big, they’re all over the world…they’re in Abu Dhabi, they’re in England—at the end of the month I’ll see Georges St. Pierre fight Carlos Condit in the Mandalay Bay in Vegas.”

Update on Bellator-Desert Rage litigation – (MMA Payout)

Last week, we reported that Bellator had sued Arizona promotion Desert Rage Full Contact Fighting claiming the Arizona-based promotion interfered with contracted Bellator fighters for its upcoming event in Yuma on October 22nd as Desert Rage was set to hold its own event nearby on the same date.

With GSP vs. Carlos Condit postponed, a second look at BJ Penn/Nick Diaz – (Fight Opinion)

Nick Diaz fights BJ Penn at UFC 137 and, if he wins, Diaz will get to reclaim the title shot he lost just a few weeks ago; however, that is a huge if. BJ Penn is quite possibly the worst stylistic matchup imaginable for Diaz.

Paulo Filho calling it quits after next fight – (Five Ounces of Pain)

It appears one of the most star-crossed careers in MMA is coming to a close, as Paulo Filho has revealed he will be retiring from the sport after a final fight next month he’s only showing up for based on having already signed the contract.

Nelson Getting a Little Help From His Friends – (NBC Sports)

Roy Nelson has enlisted the help of Frank Mir, the man who most recently defeated Nelson at UFC 130, to help prepare him for his UFC 137 fight against Mirko Cro-Cop.

Not Shown on TUF 14: Josh Ferguson Took a Dump in Dustin Neace’s Cowboy Hat – (5th Round)

According to Roland Delorme (Pictured), The Ultimate Fighter 14 bantamweight contestant who has been blogging exclusively for 5thRound.com all season, Spike TV left some crap out of last night’s episode.

LowKick.com Everywhere Contest – (LowKick)

It’s “LowKick.com Everywhere”—show your support for LowKick.com Community by taking a picture of LowKick.com Homepage (can be mobile) in awkward, special, unusual or just crazy places. In the middle of the ocean, on top of your girlfriend, on Mount Everest…wherever and however!

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