Is Nick Diaz ducking Georges St. Pierre? It sure looks that way. Diaz was scheduled for a press conference in Canada on Tuesday, and then again in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Dana White has tried contacting Diaz but he cannot be found and is not returning calls, so this has forced Dana White to replace Nick Diaz with Carlos Condit for the welterweight championship in UFC 137. Dana White said Diaz missed his flights, and that they tried to reschedule them, but Diaz was a no show.
Here is what Dana White had to say at a Press Conference in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas: “I’d had my reservations about Nick Diaz for a long time.” “You’ve heard me use the term ‘play the game.’ All I asked him for was this much. When he signed, I said, ‘Let me tell you what kid, add up all the purses of you career, this will be biggest fight of your life.’ You have the opportunity to fight GSP and win the welterweight title. But I need you to do certain things.”
“I just don’t understand why someone doesn’t show up to an opportunity like this,” St. Pierre said. “I just can’t believe it. It’s amazing. It’s crazy.” “He was going to make life-changing money for this fight,” White added. “And maybe the thing is with Nick Diaz, maybe he did crack under the pressure. Maybe he folded under the spotlight.”
“Maybe he is here and he is going to come out and say, ‘This is a prank,’” St-Pierre said. “Are you trying to prank me?”
Dana White later said that Nick Diaz was staying with Cesar Gracie at his house, and snuck out the back door. Since then no-one can locate Diaz, not even his own brother Nate Diaz has clues as to where he is.
The St-Pierre vs. Diaz fight was essentially a title unification bout, with Diaz recently surrendering the Strikeforce belt despite being the reigning champion in order to re-sign with the UFC. Diaz had won 10 straight fights leading up to the GSP matchup, but St-Pierre said he believes Condit is a more dangerous opponent.
GSP daid during the press conference, “Are you trying to prank me Diaz? Is this a prank?”
He then mentioned his fight against Carlos Condit, saying Condit is a more dangerous fight: “I do believe Carlos Condit is more dangerous than Nick Diaz,” he said. “If they fought, I would put my money on Carlos Condit, so for me it’s a bigger challenge.”
Condit and GSP have trained together at Greg Jacksons camp, but neither fighter has any problem facing off in the octagon.
Dana White said when he called Carlos Condit to offer him the fight, he immediately broke down in tears of joy and excitement, and immediately jumped on an airplane and headed to Las Vegas.
“I’ve been fighting for nearly a decade and there has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears that has gone into that,” he said. “A lot of sacrifices have been made both personally and professionally, and I’m looking forward to showing the UFC that I am deserving of this opportunity.” Says Condit.
President White was upset, and can you blame the guy? He’s already spent $15,000 in flights flying these fighters around the country for press conferences, not to mention all of the advertising they have spent hyping up the fight between GSP and Diaz. Ticket sales went live today, and White is offering a full refund to those that purchased just to see GSP vs Diaz, although not many will get a refund.
Dana White said he is not sure of Diaz’s future in the UFC.
