Nick Diaz: whiny baby, thug or misunderstood?

By: Clay

If you aren't familiar with UFC welterweight fighter Nick Diaz, let me give you the scoop. Nick hails from the "209", aka Stockton, California. He attended one year at Tokay High School before dropping out to practice mixed martial arts. In the most recent UFC Primetime show, his coaches never once mentioned that they were disappointed he dropped out of school to train. Apparently they didn't care.

I'm just gonna list this shit because of how much there is on this guy, er, child. So, eventually Diaz becomes a pretty damn good fighter. He ends up in the UFC, wins some and lose some. After a hard fought loss, Diaz gets into a post-fight brawl with Riggs at the hospital. Suffered a six month suspension as a result of testing positive for marijuana after his victory over Takanori Gomi at Pride 23. By the way, the Nevada State Athletic Commission stated that a positive THC level would be at 15. Diaz's THC level was 175. Wowzers.

After a loss via doctor stoppage (cuts) to KJ Noons at EliteXC: Renegade, Diaz flipped the bird to the doc and shoved a camera out of his face. After Noon's win over Corbbery at EliteXC's "Return of the King" in Noon's native Hawaii, EliteXC officials brought Nick and Nate Diaz into the ring to talk about a possible rematch with Noons. Nick said to Noons, "don't be scared, homie", which prompted KJ Noon's father, Carl to lunge at Nick. Official were quick to separate the parties. The Diaz bros were then seen flipping off the crowd and Noons' corner. The rematch never happened as Noons' manager said, " As far as Nick Diaz, he's not the number one contender out there".

Nick was then scheduled to face Jay Hieron for the welterweight title at Strikeforce: Carano vs Cyborg, however Diaz failed to attain his fight license because he didn't attend the pre-fight drug test. So the fight was canceled as well as the crowning of the first Strikeforce welterweight champion. Six months later, Diaz was given another shot to be the first Strikeforce welterweight champion and this time he showed up, defeating Marius Zaromskis be ref stoppage in the first round. Undeserved second chances would become a theme for Diaz.


All hell broke loose at Strikeforce: Nashville in April 2010. During Diaz training partner Jake Shields' post fight interview, Jason "Mayhem" Miller came into the cage and interrupted Shields by asking for a rematch. Miller was then pushed by Shields and another traing partner, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. Nick Diaz then threw a punch at Miller which then started and all out one sided brawl. Nick and Nate Diaz, Melendez, attacked Miller while he was being restrained on the met by other members of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu camp. Eventually security, referees and members of Dan Henderson's corner came to the aid of Miller and stopped the brawl. 


Once the UFC purchased Strikeforce, fans clamored for both organizations champions to fight. So, Dana White makes the decision to have Nick fight Georges St. Pierre at UFC 137. Diaz "missed" a flight to Toronto for a press conference promoting the fight. Then, Nick "missed" another flight to Las Vegas to promote the fight. Angered and worried that Diaz would no-show for the GSP fight, White removed Diaz from the fight and gave it to Carlos Condit. Dana White stated about Nick, "I will never accept his word again". When Diaz finally opened communication with the UFC, Dana gave him a fight with BJ Penn. Gsp eventually injured himself during training for the Condit fight, so that bout was scrapped and Penn/Diaz became the main event. Diaz won by decision and then called out St. Pierre, claiming that GSP wasn't really hurt. At the post fight press conference, Dana would give Diaz another chance to fight for the title.


While training for his UFC 143 fight with Nick Diaz, GSP injured his ACL, thus opening the door for Carlos Condit to step in and fight Nick Diaz for the interim welterweight title. Condit avoided Diaz's strikes and didn't get sucked into Diaz's game of trash talking during the fight and showing up your opponent. Carlos won by unanimous decision due largely in part of Diaz failing to make adjustments to the strategy of movement and counter striking employed by Condit. In the post fight interview, a very disrespectful Diaz stated "he didn't need this shit" and would retired because he felt he won the match without question. 


With GSP out until November, Dana decided to give Diaz an immediate rematch against Carlos Condit. Condit, wanting to wait for the GSP fight, did as champions do and accepted the rematch. And that is where we stand.


Now, after all the shit Nick Diaz has done, the only real punishment he received was the six month suspension. Here's Nick after his victory of BJ Penn.

MMA News April 21 2011

By: Clay

-Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama will lock horns in August at UFC 133 in Philly.
-Randy Couture has announced that his upcoming April 29 fight vs Lyoto Machida at UFC 128 will be his last.

"I believe this is my last fight," "I know the UFC is probably going to have other ideas, especially with acquiring Strikeforce and all that. They're probably going to try to draw me into another fight but I don't think that's going to happen. I want to stick to my guns and this is the last one."
"I will miss the competition immensely but I want to go out on my terms I want to go out when I think it's time to go out and not because I lost this fight or lost that fight or because I had an injury that precludes me from training the way I want to train.
"I want to make the decision on my own."

-Chris Leben will finally get his wish to fight Wanderlei Silva at UFC 132 on July 2.
-Nick Diaz claims his next fight will be a boxing match unless he sees more money.

-Here's the trailer for the Anderson Silva doc.

GSP/SILVA Doesn't Make Sense

By: Clay

I know alot of MMA fans are excited for a possible GSP/Anderson Silva superfight. But here is why I don't think it should happen.

Since the Zuffa(UFC) purchased Strikeforce a few weeks ago, all the top MMA talent currently resides with Zuffa. Dana White has stated that both fighting organizations will stay separate from each other, but do we really see that happening as we gaze in our crystal ball? Seriously, that's a terrible idea. Assuming GSP defeats Jake Shields, here's what I think...

Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz was arguable the best fighter not in the UFC. Now that they are all under one roof, why not have a Strikeforce/UFC welterweight superfight? GSP hasn't had any challenges at welterweight since he took the title from Matt Hughes in their second fight(the Matt Serra loss was a fluke). By having GSP and Daiz fight, it gives Zuffa the chance to make an even bigger superfight in the future by having an actual undisputed welterweight champ by unifying both titles. Then that winner can go on to face Anderson Silva. But only if he can rise to the challenges that I think he should face...

Anderson Silva must fight Yushin Okami as soon as both fighters are available. The UFC has dicked around with Okami for awhile and it is time they give Okami a shot. So, while GSP/Diaz and Silva/Okami are scheduled, Zuffa should name Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen coaches for the Ultimate Fighter. The winner gets the UFC middleweight champ, the loser fights the previous title fight loser. Not a bad final four group. Then, in the midst of all this, Strikeforce middleweight champ Ronaldo Souza should defend his title against MTV Bully Beatdown host and former ICON middleweight champ Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Winner of that fight then defends that title against the current UFC middleweight champ.

If Nick Diaz and Mayhem Miller survive all this, then they must fight to unify their hatred for each other, whether there are titles on the line or not.

I think the MMA community deserves to see Nick Diaz take on GSP. Diaz would be the toughest opponent GSP has faced. Also, we deserve to see Sonnen fight Anderson again. The only problem with that is that Sonnen doesn't really deserve another title shot based on his out of the octagon problems. Whatever happens, happens.

Sports Jerks Unofficial MMA Rankings

By: Clay

Heavyweight
1. Cain Velasquez
2. Brock Lesnar
3. Alistair Overeem
4. Junior Dos Santos
5. Shane Carwin
6. Big Foot Silva
7. Sergei Kharitonov
8. Fabricio Werdum
9. Frank Mir
10. Matt Mitrione

Light Heavyweight
1. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
2. Rashad Evans
3. Rampage Jackson
4. Lyoto Machida
5. Forrest Griffen
6. Jon Jones
7. Randy Couture
8. Ryan Bader
9. Thiago Silva
10. Rich Franklin

Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva
2. Yushin Okami
3. Chael Sonnen
4. Nate Marquardt
5. Demian Maia
6. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza
7. Jorge Santiago
8. Michael Bisping
9. Vitor Belfort
10. Robbie Lawler

Welterweight
1.Georges St-Pierre
2. Jon Fitch
3. Jake Shields
4. Nick Diaz
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Carlos Condit
7. Paul Daley
8. Martin Kampmann
9. Thiago Alves
10. B.J. Penn

Lightweight
1. Frankie Edgar
2. Gilbert Melendez
3. Gray Maynard
4. Shinya Aoki
5. Eddie Alvarez
6. Tatsuya Kawajiri
7. Jim Miller
8. Clay Guida
9. Anthony Pettis
10. Melvin Guillard

Chael Sonnen Ready to Fight, Bisping/Rivera

By: Clay

Finally Chael Sonnen is free to fight after serving a six-month suspension and paying $2,500 fine from the Cali State Athletic Commission. Chael and the UFC are now free to negotiate a fight for an upcoming show for Chael. My guess would be that we will see Chael take on Michael Bisping.

Lots of fighters have thrown their name in the hat to fight Bisping after Bispings actions following his fight vs. Jorge Rivera last weekend. My take on the Bisping situation is this; He apologized and he was amped up from the fight. I understand that the knee was illegal and he was penalized for it. And if you watch the replay, you see Rivera move his right leg and foot in a way that would indicate he was about to stand up. Basically just bad timing by Bisping. Those things happen. Rivera should consider himself lucky that he was even given an opportunity to fight Bisping as they are clearly on different levels of the middleweight division.

Rivera did a good job selling the fight but made himself look like a royal ass by doing it. And then he also puts his boxing coach in the mix, who isn't even a fighter. He's just a coach. So he needs to limit his words and actions. Now, I can see how spitting on someone is fucking low bullshit and I would be mad too, but they can't complain because Bisping gave them the finger. What is this, fourth grade? they all need to grow up.

Now, Sonnen is one of the handful of fighters to say he wants Bisping. Here is Chael's email to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva.

To: Joe Silva, Matchmaker Extraordinaire, Ultimate Fighting Championship
Re: Spitsbing & his tainted victory

Joe:

If you get a chance to talk with him, please mention to your idiot-in-residence Michael Spitsbing it’ll be a little tougher to knee ME in the head when I’m charging at him like a runaway train and mincing him through the fence like a boiled potato, should we ever have the pleasure of each other’s company for a few (VERY few) moments in the Octagon.

Oh; and I’d suggest to him being a little careful about spitting on any of MY cornermen, since any one of them can beat him up as badly as I can. Thanks ever so much.

Hope all is well.

-Chael Sonnen

Let it begin. Sonnen 1, Bisping 0

Fedor's Status

By: Clay

I had the opportunity to watch the StrikeForce event on showtime the other night. Boy, does Fedor look slow. Maybe he looks that way because I haven't seen him fight anyone worth a crap over the past few years and now that he has, he just doesn't look right. Does that make since.

I don't think he should retire though. He should test himself in his training and his next fight. He needs to prove that he is the best fighter and that he has just fallen victim to his own hype and his management setting up easy fights for him.

His management team is his biggest downfall. A couple years ago, Fedor could have been in the UFC fighting the best fighters in the world AND all the while being exposed to the American fanbase, many of which don't know anything past what the UFC shows them. He could have made himself more money behind UFC Fights and UFC marketing. He could have gotten paid just to show up at various fight cards that he wouldn't have been scheduled to fight on. Not to mention the UFC fan expos.

Fedor could have made himself a legend 10 times over. Now, we'll just look at his fight record and wonder what might have been. Even if he came to the UFC and didn't win a fight, those losses would still be crediable and respectable losses. Look at Randy Couture. His record isn't all that great but due to the fact that he has fought the best fighters in the world, won some and lost some, Randy is still considered a legend in MMA.

I'm not saying that Fedor isn't and won't remain a legend. He COULD have been a god.

Once I Was A Champion

By: Clay

Here is the official trailer for "Once I Was a Champion". Should be out in the next year.

Godsmack/UFC

Apparently this song was inspired by how much Godsmack hates Motley Crue.

Chael Sonnen on Anderson Silva

More Recent Pulls and Such

07 Bowman Miguel Montero rookie auto 347/500. 04 Skybox Marlon Byrd auto.


09 SP David Patton Letter auto rookie 36/100. 2010 Topps Geo Soto jersey


2010 Topps Johnny Mize hat patch 81/99. D Lee 2006 Flair Showcase jersey


2006 Topps '52 Josh Kinney and Ryan O'Malley rookie card autos


2010 Topps Finest Eric Hacker auto letter patch, 104/217. 08 SP Brian McCann jersey.


08 Upper Deck Chipper Jones jersey,08 UD SP Brent Lillibridge auto


Topps 2010 Fight Mat Relics of UFC LightWeight Champ Frankie Edgar and middle weight contender Alan Belcher. The Belcher is a bronze, 53/88. Ryan Bader Tapout shirt relic. Doesn't smell like sweat...