UFC 137 Fight Card: Mitrione Seeks to Protect "Nuts and Berries" Against Kongo

Nick Diaz has become THE topic heading into UFC 137, but the heavyweight fight between Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo—which is now the card’s co-main event—is an extremely important fight as well.The fight may well have implications as to w…

Nick Diaz has become THE topic heading into UFC 137, but the heavyweight fight between Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo—which is now the card’s co-main event—is an extremely important fight as well.

The fight may well have implications as to who will be next in line at a No. 1 contender fight or even a title shot.

However, to Mitrione, it really doesn’t matter a whole lot. In fact, it doesn’t really matter at all.

“I don’t get paid to worry about that,” Mitrione said concerning his proximity to a title shot at the UFC 137 media call. “I don’t really care, to be honest. If I go out there and kick Cheick Kongo’s ass, then that’s a conversation that we’ll have.”

Mitrione may not be concerned about the belt, but he’s definitely concerned about what’s below it—his “nuts and berries.”

Kongo has a reputation for landing groin shots, and it’s a reputation that the former NFL star is certainly aware of and is (hopefully) prepared for.

The Illinois native doesn’t have any special technique for avoiding being hit below the belt; he just hopes his cup is “one that’s, hopefully, protecting.”

“As long as it covers my jewels, my nuts and berries, I’ll be alright.”

Nut shots aside, Mitrione still has reasons to be cautious when fighting Kongo.

The Frenchman recently increased his stock with an unbelievable comeback victory over Pat Barry that is widely considered to be the best comeback in MMA history (or the second best if you think the best was Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen).

Is this what has Mitrione concerned? Yes, but concerned is too strong a word; Mitrione is just aware.

“Cheick is resilient and he’s not gonna let the fight get stopped,” he said. “He’s got a ton of heart…If you get him in trouble, he’s too active and the [referee] won’t stop the fight because he’s so active.”

The fight between Mitrione and Kongo will be the co-main event of UFC 137 and will almost certainly be a fight of the night candidate due to each fighters striking-oriented style as well as Kongo’s apparent ability to knock people out when he’s seemingly unconscious.

Should Mitrione win, he’ll rise in the heavyweight rankings and will be labeled a contender, making his fight with Kongo one that should definitely be watched (even if you are squeamish regarding shots below the belt).

 

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UFC 137: Does Diaz Deserve a Title Shot After His Antics During Media Call?

This is just another case of Nick Diaz being Nick Diaz. During a UFC 137 prefight conference call, which also featured BJ Penn, Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione, the Stockton, California native appeared to be a no-show for yet another media appearan…

This is just another case of Nick Diaz being Nick Diaz

During a UFC 137 prefight conference call, which also featured BJ Penn, Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione, the Stockton, California native appeared to be a no-show for yet another media appearance that would have likely sealed his fate with the UFC. 

Diaz finally made an appearance near the conclusion of the call, but he didn’t appear to be quite interested in providing any answers to the media nor did he reply with anything significant that would possibly justify his tardiness. 

This incident is similar to Diaz‘s no-show at the UFC 137 press conferences, where he was originally scheduled to face UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, but was eventually pulled from the main event and replaced by Carlos Condit.

It is no surprise that Diaz‘s antics make him one of the company’s most polarizing figures, but with the spotlight firmly placed on him to carry UFC 137, he isn’t necessarily leading by example. He certainly is not making a strong case to become the next contender for the UFC welterweight title. His recent actions have taken a considerable hit to his reputation and he doesn’t seem to be fazed by it.

Obviously, Diaz‘s image is not what would you classify as professional. In fact, it’s far from that. 

While competing in Strikeforce, Diaz could play by his rules because he was the company’s biggest asset and any indication that the Strikeforce welterweight champion was being released would have led to the company’s demise.

This time around, Diaz does not have the same freedom that he once did, but he continues to employ the same attitude he has always had and not “play the game.”

As mentioned previously, this incident will likely be met with little criticism, as the old adage goes “Nick Diaz being Nick Diaz.” However, his image and outlook on the sport is becoming tiring and predictable.

Diaz is his own worst enemy and if he continues to rebel against UFC management, he may never reach the success he is capable of achieving. 

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For UFC 137’s Nick Diaz, Pre-Fight Media Mishaps Won’t Matter Come Fight Night

On Saturday, October 29, inside Mandalay Bay Events Center, it will not matter that Nick Diaz didn’t attend pre-fight press conferences or missed a large portion of a media call.Today, Diaz (25-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) was late for a scheduled media call and ma…

On Saturday, October 29, inside Mandalay Bay Events Center, it will not matter that Nick Diaz didn’t attend pre-fight press conferences or missed a large portion of a media call.

Today, Diaz (25-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) was late for a scheduled media call and many believed that the former Strikeforce welterweight champion was going to bypass this as well.

However, Diaz dialed in when he was informed by his brother and UFC lightweight Nate Diaz that he should be on a call to promote next Saturday’s pay-per-view. While he ended up taking part in the call, his participation or lack thereof in prior events will not matter on fight night.

“Nobody called me in the last week or couple days or anything and said there was a call,” Diaz said on today’s UFC 137 media call.” Woke up, my phone was dead, and my brother’s telling me I’m supposed to be on a call. I don’t know anything about it. It’s as simple as that.”

Whether or not Diaz attends a press conference or media call will not determine how he performs on fight night.

After all, we’re talking a fighter who has not suffered defeat since 2007 and is currently on a 10-fight win streak.

His opening round knockout victory over Paul Daley this past April was one of the most fan-friendly fights of the year.

Of course, if Diaz participates in his pre-fight media obligations, then the headlines leading up to UFC 137 would be far different.

From an opportunity to face Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight championship, to being yanked from the fight, to being reinserted opposite B.J. Penn in the co-main event, and now being promoted to main event again due to a St-Pierre knee injury leaving a main-event void, Diaz has been on a roller coaster ride of sorts heading into his return to the Octagon.

While you shouldn’t have high hopes for seeing the welterweight attend press conferences and media calls, you should know that, come fight night, Diaz will show up and provide fans with a thrilling fight against B.J. Penn.

During his current win streak, Diaz has only been to a decision once, with his other nine victories coming by way of knockout or submission. A pretty impressive stat to the say the least.

In 10 days, you can bet the bank that Diaz will show up on fight night, and win, lose or draw, he’ll put his heart on the line and leave it all inside the Octagon.

 

For additional information on UFC 137 follow Joshua Carey on Twitter.

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UFC 137 Press Conference: Nick Diaz Scares the UFC by Showing Up Late

Will he or won’t he? That has to be the question on the minds of UFC executives, fans and Nick Diaz’s opponents when it comes time to start a press conference. Today he was scheduled to be on the call along with his UFC 137 opponent B.J. Penn and heavy…

Will he or won’t he? That has to be the question on the minds of UFC executives, fans and Nick Diaz’s opponents when it comes time to start a press conference. Today he was scheduled to be on the call along with his UFC 137 opponent B.J. Penn and heavyweights Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo.

As you all know by now, Diaz was originally scheduled to face UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre for his title, but was removed from that spot in favor of Carlos Condit for no-showing two consecutive press conferences. As luck would have it, the UFC paired him up against Penn, Condit’s original opponent in the co-main event.

Lo and behold, GSP was injured and the UFC was forced to move the Penn-Diaz affair to the main event spot and hold their breath that he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize a card that is suffering from injuries and NIck Diaz being Nick Diaz. As the call began today at 2 p.m. EST, Diaz was nowhere to be found.

“We are expecting Nick Diaz to be here and are trying to locate him as we speak,” said a nervous Dave Sholler when quizzed on the Stockton residents whereabouts by Canadian journalist Neil Davidson.

“Is Diaz still scheduled to appear on the card?” was another question posed by Davidson. Poor Sholler could deflect that question to UFC President Dana White who was not in attendance in person or on the phone.

So, as BJ Penn received the majority of the questions, with Mitrione and Kongo being woken up every 10 minutes or so, the mood was a mixture of concern and a certain amount of “I told you so’s,” due to Diaz’s reputation for being late or not showing up to these conferences at all.

Dana White tweeted that he was hearing the UFC dropped the ball on the Diaz no-show. When pressed for further comment, Sholler explained that the UFC was in constant contact with Diaz’s trainer and manager Caeser Gracie, who was on the hunt for the former Strikeforce welterweight champion.

Penn was asked along  the way about the fact that Diaz was not in attendance, and he did his best to keep the focus off of Diaz and on the fight and how well prepared he feels he is going into the showdown next Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Then at 2:43, nearly 45 minutes late, Diaz chimed in, sounding as if he had just woken up. “I wasn’t aware that there was a call,” explained Diaz. “I trained hard last night, went home and ate, then fell asleep. I woke up today, my phone was dead and my brother was telling me that I was supposed to be on this call. I was never given any notice. I never knew anything about it, it’s as simple as that.”

Sounding like he would rather be anywhere else, but on the call, Diaz explained some of the training he had been doing. Between his BJJ, boxing and wrestling training, he had been doing a lot of work on his cardio. He was then asked if he had any regrets about all that had gone on, including losing the original spot in the main event against GSP.

“I should have been there for those press conferences, but it’s not going to make a bit of difference whether I whine or cry about it,” Diaz said defensively. “I’m not about to panic, I am going to do what I always do—which is train—and when it’s time to fight, it’s time to fight. Whatever is going on with me won’t matter when the fight starts. My job is to fight, I don’t really have a choice on who I’m fighting or who I’m not fighting.”

Diaz was asked whether or not he had made any missteps in leading up the card and his only concern was that he doesn’t make any mistakes while training. “I’m here to put in 100 percent,” he said. “I think that’s what is really important. I want to have good fights against good fighters, that’s what I try to bring to the table.”

Penn had said earlier on during the call that he believed that Diaz was the best boxer in MMA. He was asked whether or not he was a fan of Penn’s and how he felt about fighting him. The comments made by Penn seemed to please Diaz, who then went on to say that he wasn’t pleased that he has to fight a guy he considers a friend. As with his usual rhetoric, Diaz said a fight’s a fight, and that’s how he is going to approach it.

“It’s not going to make it easy on me,” Diaz said. “We have spent a lot of time training together and I’m going to do what my manager says. I’ll continue to train and whatever they tell me to do is what I will do.” Asked whether or not he felt a fight with Penn would allow him to showcase his skills better than if he faced GSP, Diaz said he would have preferred to face GSP because it was for the title.

“Georges is a little bit bigger than BJ and he would not be able to stall me the same way because I am bigger,” Diaz said. “I was looking forward to fighting GSP. It would’ve been interesting to see how we would’ve dealt with each other. This fight with Penn is a lot different, and to be honest I think BJ is a much better fighter than GSP.

“I don’t think this is the proper weight for Penn, I don’t think he looked that great in his last fight, but you can never count him out. Lightweight is the ideal weight class for him, but all around he is much better than GSP.”

Once again Diaz was asked again whether or not he regretted not getting on the plane to Canada, and in true Diaz style he said yes, but deflected the blame on others for not reminding him about his obligations. He mentioned that if he knew that he had to rely on himself for that information things would have gone much differently.

The fact remains that Diaz lost a shot at the title, yet still finds himself in the main event. He seems focused on training and nothing else. He refused to take any blame for missing any press conferences instead choosing to blame the people who surround him. Yet, Josh Gross tweeted that Gracie told him yesterday that Diaz was aware and would be at the press conference.

For Diaz he believes that all of this is a waste of his time and he should be using this time to train to become the best in the world, because after all, isn’t that what they are there to do? He doesn’t lack any confidence in his abilities and we should expect to see a well trained and prepared Nick Diaz next Saturday night.

Sholler was asked how far ahead this conference was scheduled and he chose not to answer that question. He went on to say that “All’s well that ends well,” and that the fight is on, the organization, fans and everyone else is excited about the matchup.The bulk of the questions posed to Diaz were related to the press conference, which is truly a shame.

Here we have two superb mixed martial artists going up against one another, and all people could ask was the same cookie-cutter questions which only seemed to be drawing the ire of Diaz.

Someone asked Diaz if he and Penn had something on the side and whether or not the Strikeforce title would be on the line. Diaz seemed uninterested in answering that particular question as did Penn. Kudos to BJ for taking the high road and staying away from the controversy.

As long as Diaz is fighting we will have these instances where he just doesn’t care about his obligations outside the cage. He is a fighter that would’ve fit in back in the early days when there wasn’t much media coverage and he could’ve just trained and fought in peace.

One last thing: Both Penn and Diaz said they would be willing to fight for five rounds, but it wasn’t up to them. They both explained that they had been there before and are in shape to do battle for 25 minutes should the UFC ask them to do so.

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Nick Diaz Was Only 45 Minutes Late to Today’s UFC 137 Media Call


(“Well at the very least, you’re paying me back for all this bottled water.”)

BJ Penn, Nick Diaz, Matt Mitrione, and Cheick Kongo were scheduled to participate in a UFC 137 media call at 2 p.m. ET today, and three of them called in on time. The other one, obviously, was Nick Diaz. According to twitter updates from Ariel Helwani, the UFC and Diaz’s manager/trainer Cesar Gracie began frantically searching for the former Strikeforce welterweight champ when he no-showed the call. Gracie was surprised by his fighter’s absence, but offered the explanation that he only found out about the media call 24 hours in advance and he wasn’t sure whether it was still on after GSP pulled out due to injury.


(“Well at the very least, you’re paying me back for all this bottled water.”)

BJ Penn, Nick Diaz, Matt Mitrione, and Cheick Kongo were scheduled to participate in a UFC 137 media call at 2 p.m. ET today, and three of them called in on time. The other one, obviously, was Nick Diaz. According to twitter updates from Ariel Helwani, the UFC and Diaz’s manager/trainer Cesar Gracie began frantically searching for the former Strikeforce welterweight champ when he no-showed the call. Gracie was surprised by his fighter’s absence, but offered the explanation that he only found out about the media call 24 hours in advance and he wasn’t sure whether it was still on after GSP pulled out due to injury.

So anyway, Diaz finally shows up around 2:45 and says he didn’t know about the call. (Oh, won’t somebody keep this man informed of such things?) Dana White blamed his own organization for the mixup, but what else is he going to do, take Nick off the main event again? By the way, the current poster for UFC 137 carries the tagline “Expect the Unexpected.” You said it, brother.

Related: BJ Penn would accept the Diaz camp’s challenge to make their fight a five-rounder, as long as he’s “compensated accordingly.”

The Nick Diaz Phenomenon

Filed under:

Nick Diaz with Cesar GracieThe new UFC 137 event poster features the tagline “Expect the Unexpected.” It is fitting given that there have been multiple main event switches leading up to the October 29 date, but it could just as easily be referring solely to one of the men gracing the artwork.

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.

That duality may well be an accurate portrayal of Diaz in his private and public settings, and it may not be a bad thing. Because Diaz’s personality perfectly fits into a sport like MMA. To his fans, he’s an ass-kicking, counterculture anti-hero. To his detractors, he’s an overrated, irascible ingrate. Whatever the case, he’s undeniably a one-man MMA phenomenon.

On Wednesday, Diaz was scheduled to be one of four participants in a media teleconference, along with his opponent BJ Penn as well as heavyweights Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo. But when the call began, Diaz was nowhere to be found.

The UFC had been in constant communication with Diaz’s manager Cesar Gracie, a company spokesperson said, and they were still searching for him as the call began. Through Twitter, UFC president Dana White put the blame on his staff, saying they “dropped the ball on the Nick Diaz no-show.” But Diaz did show up, just not on time, dialing in 40 minutes late and saying that no one had told him it was going on until that moment.

Whether you believe that or not is of course, up to you. But it must be noted that Mitrione and Kongo were invited to the call on Tuesday, and they were around at the appointed time.

In the grand scheme of things, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but based on Diaz missing two previous press conferences that cost him a title fight, it became a story. But that quickly changed. When he arrived late, it became only part of the story. And when he started talking, it became moot. Better late than never, after all.

He said that he regretted the actions (or inactions) that led to his removal from the St-Pierre fight. That he wasn’t happy about fighting Penn. That he believes Penn to be a better all-around fighter than GSP. That someone in his camp was getting paid way too much and not doing their job of handling his schedule. That the Strikeforce belt never meant much to him.

In 15 minutes, Diaz did more to shift the narrative of UFC 137 storylines than Penn, Mitrione and Kongo did in the preceding 40. That’s just the way it is when he speaks.

And isn’t that the point of conference calls and press conferences? When it comes to those, Diaz says more with less than anyone in MMA. If he was as verbose and microphone friendly as say, Chael Sonnen, it wouldn’t quite be the same. Diaz shows up when he wants, wedges open a window into his mind, and lets you in look in just long enough to find yourself fascinated and wanting more.

That’s true for the fans, it’s true for the media, it’s even true for the fighters. Just ask Penn, who called Diaz “a great character of the sport.”

“I think there’s nothing wrong with the media focusing on that stuff,” he said. “It’s something to talk about. It’s a story. I don’t want to say it’s good for the sport, the guy not showing up for the press conference, but it is another character in the sport, you know?”

That Penn ended his answer with a question seemed perfectly fitting, too. Sometimes Diaz leaves you with an uneasy feeling, like you’re not sure if you’re in the midst of watching someone unravel, or you’re just watching someone who’s conflicted.

Hopefully it’s the latter, because Diaz’s talents deserve a worthy showcase of invested fans. And in some ways, this whole bizarre UFC 137 scenario may end up benefitting all the parties involved. Diaz was very well known by MMA fans prior to this, but an untold number of others are getting a taste of his brilliance or madness before a possible showdown with St-Pierre. If Diaz can walk away with a win over Penn, and St-Pierre eventually beats Carlos Condit, the Diaz-GSP fight becomes exponentially bigger than it would have been.

In the end though, no one summarized Diaz better than he did himself. He seems to be able to compartmentalize his life into its various parts. The fighter is different from the person. The problems are put away into their own corner to be ignored. Each moment belongs in its own box.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with me, but it’s not going to make a difference whether or not I whine or cry about it or panic,” he said. “I’m just going to do what I always do: train. And when it’s time to fight, I go fight.”

Outside of the cage, we never quite know what to expect of Diaz. He is wildly unpredictable and generally ducks attention, but he when speaks, he says exactly what’s on his mind, consequences be damned. And inside the cage, we know exactly what to expect. Win or lose, he will force his opponent into a pitched battle. He will attempt to break your will, consequences be damned. You may like him or you may not, but it’s hard to deny that in a sport full of singular personalities, he’s one of the most intriguing ones MMA has ever seen.

 

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Filed under:

Nick Diaz with Cesar GracieThe new UFC 137 event poster features the tagline “Expect the Unexpected.” It is fitting given that there have been multiple main event switches leading up to the October 29 date, but it could just as easily be referring solely to one of the men gracing the artwork.

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.

That duality may well be an accurate portrayal of Diaz in his private and public settings, and it may not be a bad thing. Because Diaz’s personality perfectly fits into a sport like MMA. To his fans, he’s an ass-kicking, counterculture anti-hero. To his detractors, he’s an overrated, irascible ingrate. Whatever the case, he’s undeniably a one-man MMA phenomenon.

On Wednesday, Diaz was scheduled to be one of four participants in a media teleconference, along with his opponent BJ Penn as well as heavyweights Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo. But when the call began, Diaz was nowhere to be found.

The UFC had been in constant communication with Diaz’s manager Cesar Gracie, a company spokesperson said, and they were still searching for him as the call began. Through Twitter, UFC president Dana White put the blame on his staff, saying they “dropped the ball on the Nick Diaz no-show.” But Diaz did show up, just not on time, dialing in 40 minutes late and saying that no one had told him it was going on until that moment.

Whether you believe that or not is of course, up to you. But it must be noted that Mitrione and Kongo were invited to the call on Tuesday, and they were around at the appointed time.

In the grand scheme of things, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but based on Diaz missing two previous press conferences that cost him a title fight, it became a story. But that quickly changed. When he arrived late, it became only part of the story. And when he started talking, it became moot. Better late than never, after all.

He said that he regretted the actions (or inactions) that led to his removal from the St-Pierre fight. That he wasn’t happy about fighting Penn. That he believes Penn to be a better all-around fighter than GSP. That someone in his camp was getting paid way too much and not doing their job of handling his schedule. That the Strikeforce belt never meant much to him.

In 15 minutes, Diaz did more to shift the narrative of UFC 137 storylines than Penn, Mitrione and Kongo did in the preceding 40. That’s just the way it is when he speaks.

And isn’t that the point of conference calls and press conferences? When it comes to those, Diaz says more with less than anyone in MMA. If he was as verbose and microphone friendly as say, Chael Sonnen, it wouldn’t quite be the same. Diaz shows up when he wants, wedges open a window into his mind, and lets you in look in just long enough to find yourself fascinated and wanting more.

That’s true for the fans, it’s true for the media, it’s even true for the fighters. Just ask Penn, who called Diaz “a great character of the sport.”

“I think there’s nothing wrong with the media focusing on that stuff,” he said. “It’s something to talk about. It’s a story. I don’t want to say it’s good for the sport, the guy not showing up for the press conference, but it is another character in the sport, you know?”

That Penn ended his answer with a question seemed perfectly fitting, too. Sometimes Diaz leaves you with an uneasy feeling, like you’re not sure if you’re in the midst of watching someone unravel, or you’re just watching someone who’s conflicted.

Hopefully it’s the latter, because Diaz’s talents deserve a worthy showcase of invested fans. And in some ways, this whole bizarre UFC 137 scenario may end up benefitting all the parties involved. Diaz was very well known by MMA fans prior to this, but an untold number of others are getting a taste of his brilliance or madness before a possible showdown with St-Pierre. If Diaz can walk away with a win over Penn, and St-Pierre eventually beats Carlos Condit, the Diaz-GSP fight becomes exponentially bigger than it would have been.

In the end though, no one summarized Diaz better than he did himself. He seems to be able to compartmentalize his life into its various parts. The fighter is different from the person. The problems are put away into their own corner to be ignored. Each moment belongs in its own box.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with me, but it’s not going to make a difference whether or not I whine or cry about it or panic,” he said. “I’m just going to do what I always do: train. And when it’s time to fight, I go fight.”

Outside of the cage, we never quite know what to expect of Diaz. He is wildly unpredictable and generally ducks attention, but he when speaks, he says exactly what’s on his mind, consequences be damned. And inside the cage, we know exactly what to expect. Win or lose, he will force his opponent into a pitched battle. He will attempt to break your will, consequences be damned. You may like him or you may not, but it’s hard to deny that in a sport full of singular personalities, he’s one of the most intriguing ones MMA has ever seen.

 

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