Additionally, when Diaz’s mandatory shelving runs out he will have to test cleanly before receiving approval for a license to fight in the State (assuming he even wants to return to the ring).

Diaz was found to have marijuana metabolites in his system before a bout with Carlos Condit. The native Californian has a prescription to smoke medicinal pot and has never hidden his marijuana use, stating he ceased using the drug eight days prior to his match-up with Condit as he’d done before his other contests.

Interestingly, during the proceedings NAC executive Keith Kizer stated the sample Diaz submitted in his fight with B.J. Penn this past October came back as “diluted/abnormal” and even his February test had been hard to obtain with Diaz initially refusing until being told his salary would be withheld without the procedure.

Presently the former Strikeforce welterweight champ is retired and has not changed course in his decision to quit MMA other than stating he would consider a comeback if cleared by the NAC. While his return seems more unlikely than ever at this point one thing is certain – Diaz will not be fighting in the United States, if anywhere, until February 2013 at the earliest.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

However, any good faith earned may have been wiped clean in light of Estima’s own take on the situation. The decorated submission-specialist took to Twitter yesterday where he outlined a few points pertaining to Gracie’s account.

“When (the promoter) approached me to offer me the fight I was actually training at the Blackzilians at the time so obviously I was training MMA,” wrote Estima. “I never fought before so (he) said it was fine & why (not) cancel the fight before if this was really an issue??”

“Nobody has ever bended no rules for me,” he continued, turning to Diaz’s problems with his weight. “Because there was no rules set to start off with. It wasn’t going to be a UFC match but a superfight on a BJJ Expo so the whole point here was for us to show a fight. Has Nick signed a contract that stated the date time and weight that we both need to reach? I didn’t… Besides when did Nick actually weigh in? And who witnessed that if we are being so strict and professional?”

“You are saying Nick had left by 10:00 AM Saturday morning? Why you never said anything then? I even asked you I’d like to see him and his weight and you said he’s not gonna come down because he ate already and wouldn’t make the weight anymore,” stated Estima. “Nobody at any point had mentioned he could have left. Leaving me believing we would fight till the very last minute…You’re talking about lack of professionalism in the organization of the superfight and this was very professional behavior right?”

Ultimately, Estima summed things up saying he was frustrated by the way things had unfolded and adamant about Diaz being largely to blame.

Read the full statement from Estima below:

1st- When Junior approached me to offer me the fight I was actually training at the Blackzilians at the time so obviously I was training MMA. Junior told me about Nick not wanting to fight an MMA fighter. I never fought before so [Junior] said it was fine & why [didn't you] cancel the fight before if this was really an issue..??

2nd- Nobody has ever bended no rules for me. Because there was no rules set to start off with, it wasn’t going to be a UFC match but a superfight on a BJJ Expo so the whole point here was for us to show a fight.. has Nick signed a contract that stated the date time and weight that we both need to reach? I didn’t. And since this whole thing was going to be a friendly event I really don’t see any issue here even if Nick turned up 10lbs overweight. Still when asked I went and dropped the weight to meet the requirement. Actually to put things straight it was myself that called Junior around 10pm Friday to check if there is going to be a weigh in at all. He kept contacting you and got back to me saying I need to be 180 that time, of course I said I can’t for the simple reason I was away in Irvine and it was already late at night but I said sure no problem I’ll make it first thing in the morning if needed, even if it would put me in a bigger disadvantage I didn’t care I just came to fight. Junior had actually called me back no later than midnight that he spoke to you and confirmed the weigh in for 10am.

Besides when did Nick actually weigh in? And who witnessed that if we are being so strict and professional?

3rd – You are saying Nick had left by 10am Saturday morning? Why you never said anything then? I even asked you I’d like to see him and his weight and you said he’s not gonna come down because he ate already and wouldn’t make the weight anymore. And Lana, after speaking to you, called his room and said he was actually there sleeping. Nobody at any point had mentioned he could have left. Leaving me believing we would fight till the very last minute, now you’re talking about lack of professionalism in the organisation of the superfight and this was very professional behaviour right?

There is many more points here that I don’t agree with but I am just fed up of this whole situation and don’t agree for anyone to ever release the blame from Nick for whatever reason, we were there to fight and that’s what should happen no excuses, we are both professional athletes and should respect one another no matter what. And this is inexcusable.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

While Gracie expressed disappointment in a written statement published late last night he also made it clear he understood where his star pupil was coming from given the lack of professionalism he received from the organization hosting the bout.

According to Gracie, the issues influencing Diaz’s decision related to opponent Braulio Estima being presented as someone with no interest in a MMA career as well as the Brazilian’s weight-related demands. Originally Diaz’s camp had been told Estima was purely focused on grappling as a means of quelling their concerns about a BJJ-based win being used as a means of self-promotion in the MMA field. When they learned he had started training for an eventual MMA debut a red flag went up. Estima also failed to make an agreed-upon weight the night before the match-up, adding to Diaz’s displeasure with how things were being handled.

However, that doesn’t mean Gracie let Diaz off the hook for his role in the matter.

“Nick is not without fault by any means. His lack of communication with his team and coach was inexcusable. This will be addressed privately,” wrote Gracie.

Gracie also added Diaz donated a sum equal to that of his purse from the event to St. Jude’s Hospital as he’d planned to do with his winnings.

The full body of Gracie’s statement can be found below:

My decision to write an account of what happened this weekend is not to answer to the detractors of myself or my team, as no explanation is owed them. It is instead based on my acknowledgement and respect to our fans and supporters. I never thought I would be answering for something that happened at a grappling tournament, however with the worldwide popularity of the sport and my team increasing, I understand that our supporters need answers.

Below is a compilation of events in chronological order. I included the behind the scenes problems we had to let you, our supporters, know how things deteriorated.

Facts

In the month of February I was contacted by a Brazilian named Junior asking me if I wanted to participate in an Expo\Jiu-jitsu tournament. The goal was to put one of our team’s stars in the event to attract sponsors and ensure it was successful. The event was not that far away and they desperately needed exposure. Junior stated that he was working with my uncle Rilion and my cousin Renzo on this project and they were in fact partners. Rilion and Renzo are 2 people that I greatly admire and respect and I was more than happy to partner up with them. I discussed the idea with Nick Diaz and he readily agreed to enter in the black belt gi division. He did not seek any reimbursement. Junior thought it better for Nick to do a super fight as he thought this would be more of a spectacle and bring in more attention.Nick was not as enthusiastic but agreed on the condition that whoever was picked to go against him was not a MMA fighter. He knew even a mediocre MMA fighter would try to use a match and/or victory over him to further their career in MMA. Nick believes a reputation as a fighter should only be earned in a ring or cage.

I relayed this to Junior and he agreed to arrange for a strict jiu-jitsu competitor.

In March I received the disturbing news from Rilion that Junior had broken his agreement with him. Rilion stated to me that Junior was registering all World Jiu-jitsu Expo names under his name alone and was no longer taking his phone calls. When contacted by me, Junior stated that he would no longer honor his financial obligations to Rilion because “Rilion was doing nothing and treats me like one of his clerks”.

He then went on a tirade about Rilion which I interrupted and reminded him that Rilion was my family member and I would not listen to someone speaking negatively about him.

This rift left me in a dilemma. My instinct was to sever ties immediately. Rilion was my original jiu-jitsu instructor and his reputation as an honest person was impeccable. On the other hand we had already committed Diaz and Caio Terra. Our removal would destroy an event Renzo provided all of the funding for.

I consulted with Rilion who advised me to move forward with the event. He was the one that had brought Renzo into this project and convinced Renzo to fund it. He also still believed in the idea of an American tournament that paid the best BJJ guys on the planet to showcase their skills. We agreed to move forward without him since at this stage Junior had entrenched himself and his removal was impossible. Lastly Rilion warned me that Junior was not to be trusted and would undoubtedly try to cheat me and Renzo.
In early April I got the call from Junior asking what I thought of a Braulio Estima vs Nick Diaz matchup. I had heard of Braulio and knew he was a formidable jiu-jitsu practitioner. I was under the impression that Braulio competed in the close to 200lbs weight category.

When I asked Junior he assured me that Braulio could weigh in as little as 175 lbs right before the match.

I presented his information to Nick who accepted the matchup and seemed happy to go against the top BJJ player in the world at that weight. Nick started training for the match and I brought up several BJJ black belts to compliment his training.
Looking through some of Estima’s YouTube videos, it was soon discovered that he had in fact been planning on entering upon a career in MMA. We wondered if the match with Diaz was a way to create a buzz around him and get him signed with a prominent organization.

I called Junior who assured me Estima would not be fighting in MMA and that he had spoken with him and been assured he had given up on the idea of ever fighting. Junior reiterated, “Cesar I spoke with Braulio, the guy is in his 30?s, he has a family and doesn’t want to live that type of life at this stage in his life…etc”

I repeated this info to Nick. A week or so later it was all over the Internet that Braulio had joined the “Blackzillians” and was training for a MMA fight. We had been lied to. Furthermore it was evident that Nick’s sole condition that he not go against a wanna be MMA guy was violated and this was in fact an attempt by Braulio to ignite an MMA career.Nick was to have been accurately portrayed as a fighter returning to his BJJ roots. He had even agreed to give his entire purse to charity; St Jude’s Children’s Hospital for kids with cancer. If you know the story of Ralph Gracie’s son you would understand why this charity was chosen. Nick’s name having been added to this event had saved it but now it was clear he was to be the patsy, not respected but used.

Despite all of this Nick was still going to compete. He brought up Kron Gracie and prepared himself. Around this time I was informed by Junior that Braulio wanted to weigh in the day before and not right before the match as is the custom in IBJJ competitions and Abu Dhabi. At the time Nick was about 186lbs so I consented to both guys weighing in at 180lbs the night before.

Nick boarded a plane on Friday for Long Beach having cut 6 pounds for the weigh in that night. On his way there I got a call from Junior telling me Braulio would not be making weight! ”Cesar Braulio is complaining about the weight cut. Can we have him weigh in tomorrow? He can’t make the weight tonight how about 185 in the morning?”
Nick arrives in Long Beach to the news that there will be no weigh ins that night. As a professional with over 30 fights this was the final straw. The disrespect and total lack of professionalism given him convinced him he was at a circus not a professional event.
At 3:20 in the morning I received a text from Junior that Braulio would in fact make the 180lbs weight class at 10:00AM. With no other option available I said fine I’ll check with Nick in the morning. At 10:00AM Braulio did weigh in at 180lbs but by that time Nick had already left.

Opinion

As a Brazilian I love Brazil but not all things Brazilian. In the last decade I have witnessed Brazilian cronies running the IBJJF and making it impossible for Americans to get a fair shake when competing against their Brazilian countrymen. These cronies have instituted rules to where if you miss weight by even half a pound you are disqualified and not refunded your entry fee. They gladly keep your money and treat you like crap in your country because they can. One of these cronies (Junior) decided to bend all the rules for Braulio Estima and treat Nick Diaz like crap. Sorry that didn’t work out here.

As for Braulio I still respect him as a great BJJ artist. As far as calling Nick out for a MMA fight, he knows that is impossible because Nick is signed with the UFC and in MMA you have to make weight when they want you to. Not when you want to. If Braulio ever finds success in MMA then he can mention Nick’s name for a fight. Right now he should respect the man.

Nick is not without fault by any means. His lack of communication with his team and coach was inexcusable. This will be addressed privately.

Renzo and I have spoken and we are committed to continuing with this otherwise awesome event….without the services of Junior.

It should be noted that Nick paid to St Jude’s Children’s Hospitable the sum of what would have been his entire purse.

Thank you,
You have my apologies and my respect
Cesar Gracie

PHOTO CREDIT – HDNET/STRIKEFORCE

One person whose jaw didn’t drop at the notion of Diaz flaking was UFC President Dana White, citing his own experiences with the former Strikeforce champion in a post on Twitter addressing the situation.

“No, not shocked and I’m surprised u people are! He no showed a Las Vegas press conf to a fight he was gonna make HUGE $ and title,” wrote White in reference to Diaz’s actions leading up to UFC 137 where he was supposed to fight Georges St-Pierre. Diaz missed two press conferences, the latter of which was in Las Vegas, and was replaced in the bout by Carlos Condit.

“People are f***in nuts and braindead to be OUTRAGED and SHOCKED that Nick no showed something,” White added candidly.

Independent of his aspirations on the mat as a submission-grappler it also remains to be seen if Diaz will ever return to the Octagon. He is currently facing a possible suspension due to marijuana use and has stood relatively firm on his surprising retirement a few months back.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Problems first arose when Estima had difficulty making weight on Friday night, upsetting Diaz. However, Estima hit his required mark on Saturday morning and things seemed to be back on track. However, for unknown reasons at this point, Diaz ultimately decided to pass on their bout without informing anyone and hasn’t be heard from since.

An alternate was brought out to face Estima though the visibly upset submission-specialist passed on the opportunity, saying he came to face Diaz and Diaz only. He also added he would be willing to fight Diaz under MMA rules in the future since the 28-year old was apparently not willing to take him on in BJJ.

Those closest to Diaz have since gone online to comment on the matter with none revealing his location or reasoning though younger brother Nate Diaz offered up some possible insight on why his sibling may have skipped the scrap, taking to Twitter this morning and reaffirming issues with Estima’s difficulty on the scale, writing, “Braulio didn’t show up on weight the day of weigh ins knowing he had pull? WTF?”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Specifically, the points Diaz’s camp has taken issue with relate NSAC’s obligation to provide him with a formal hearing within 45 days and well as a statute saying temporary suspensions are only to be issued in the interest of “preserving public health”. Diaz was forcibly sidelined in early February and, despite repeated requests, has not been given an opportunity to plea his case in front of the NSAC. Based on the regulatory board’s lack of response it has been stated Diaz is in essence “indefinitely suspended” and unable to make a living because of it.

Diaz’s disciplinary issues stem from having tested positive for marijuana metabolites after a February 4 fight with Carlos Condit. His side has argued his marijuana use is medicinal and, as he stopped smoking more than week before the fight, he did not violate any rules.

Also worth noting, in a sworn affidavit filed along with the legal documents submitted to the NSAC, Diaz stated, “If the summary suspension is set aside, I would be prepared to compete against Mr. Condit or against any other opponent deemed suitable immediately.” The statement is the first time the 28-year old has addressed the likelihood of fighting again instead of remaining prematurely retired.

It is unknown when the NSAC will address the allegations from Diaz’s counsel.

Check out full versions of the documents below thanks to SBNation by clicking on this link.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Nick Diaz

The WJJE confirmed the match-up this week.

Estima is a multi-time winner of several Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments including a victory over Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at the 2011 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling Championship. The 31-year old Estima is slated to make his MMA debut later this year and is currently training with the Blackzilians in Florida.

Diaz, also known for his ability on the mat, announced his retirement from MMA following a loss to Carlos Condit even though many feel he’ll return down the road. The 28-year old is a black belt in BJJ under Cesar Gracie but has not competed in a BJJ bout in over two years. However, he’s also never been submitted in 34 MMA bouts.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Diaz, who announced his retirement from MMA following a loss to Carlos Condit earlier this year, will compete at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo on May 12 from Long Beach, California. No opponent has named yet for the proud Stocktonian who himself has not competed in a BJJ match in years.

Diaz is a black belt in BJJ under Cesar Gracie. Gracie, who also doubles as his manager, reported news of the match-up to MMAFighting. Apparently, the WJJE decided that Diaz should compete in a superfight instead of entering a tournament, as the controversial Californian had originally planned to do.

A press release from the WJJE has since confirmed the initial story.

Along with Diaz, Renzo Gracie, Roger Gracie, Robert Drysdale, and a host of others will all be part of the festivities, teaching seminars at the show.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Fans have not heard much from Diaz since his loss to Carlos Condit and ensuing retirement speech inside the Octagon after the defeat. Originally, the majority felt like Diaz was just upset about how the judges’ decision went. Yet, with his failed drug test for marijuana adding to the mix, it seems more possible than ever MMA has heard the last from Diaz.

Fortunately, if taking what Gracie had to say when stopping by Sherdog Radio as gospel, all hope may not be lost in terms of seeing Diaz back inside a cage in the near future.

“He’s sick of politics, the whole marijuana thing, the judges…it’s kind of a weird thing, but let’s face it; I’m not going to let that guy quit,” Gracie said. “I just don’t see that happening. He’s too good and he’s too important in this sport, I think. If it’s up to me, there’s no way that’s going to happen.”

As far as Diaz’s present demeanor, Gracie explained, “He’s pretty relaxed actually. He’s not stressed out about anything. I was with him last night. He did a few rounds boxing. Nick’s a martial artist. He’s always in some kind of training. It drives him crazy not to be. He’s always doing jiu-jitsu. He’s always doing a little something. Mentally, he’s doing great right now.”

Diaz is 1-1 in his last two fights, having defeated B.J. Penn prior to falling to Condit. The 28-year-old’s next move independent of his fighting future should come in front of the NSAC in a month when his temporary suspension for smoking pot is formally addressed.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

While Diaz has never hidden his use of cannabis, he typically tests clean by abstaining from it for the final period leading up to a bout. However, according to a statement Diaz’s lawyer submitted to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the 28-year old may not even need to go that far based on the way the NSAC policy is written.

‘Nick Diaz is an authorized medical marijuana patient,” began Ross Goodman in the document (per MMAWeekly). “As such, he did not test positive for marijuana (which is viewed as a prohibited substance if used without a medical marijuana license). Rather, Mr. Diaz tested for the presence of the inactive metabolite of marijuana known as THC-Carboxylic Acid. Under Nevada law and in Mr. Diaz’s home state of California, however, neither marijuana nor marijuana metabolite is considered a prohibited substance for users of medical marijuana.”

“Marijuana consumption (done) ‘out of competition’ and marijuana metabolites in general, such as the detection of Carboxylic Acid in Mr. Diaz’s post fight urine test, do not violate the policy prohibiting substances that are considered performance enhancing or potentially dangerous,” Goodman continued, making a convincing case against the notion of Diaz being disciplined under the current circumstances.

Up next, Diaz’s camp will have to wait while the NSAC reviews the six-page submission with a meeting to address the matter possibly taking place in April.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“He’s calmed down, I think he’s gonna fight again,” said Shields to Swedish outlet Kimura. “He’s been a little burned out. They’ve been fighting him like crazy, keeping him busy. I think he needs a little break.”

In terms of why he is confident Diaz will return to the ring at some point down the road, Shields stated, “I think the time off will make him love the sport again and make him wanna get back in there.”

Diaz himself has not addressed the matter and is currently embroiled in battle to prevent his license to fight from being suspended as the result of a positive hit for using marijuana. He is expected to appeal the NSAC’s findings in a few months when the board meets.

Shields currently has his hands full with Yoshihiro Akiyama who he’ll face Saturday night in Japan at UFC 144.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/STRIKEFORCE

His latest edition includes moments with several fighters from the earlier event including Roy Nelson and Nick Diaz. Nelson, who lost a hard-fought decision to Fabricio Werdum, discusses the outcome with Diaz, saying, “I thought I won two rounds.” Sympathetic to his cause, Diaz also complains about the way his loss to Carlos Condit was scored, mentioning that the numerous leg kicks Condit threw did zero damage.

Check out the entire video in the player below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Following his loss to Carlos Condit for the interim UFC welterweight title, Diaz announced his retirement after bitter disappointment in the way the judges scored the fight. In the days following he was named as failing a drug test from the Nevada State Athletic Commission due to traces of marijuana metabolites in his system.

As a result few outside of Diaz’s inner-circle have any real idea on what the enigmatic scrapper will do next.

On a recent edition of SportsNet’s UFC Central, several fighters were asked to give their opinion on Diaz. Among those interviewed include Georges St-Pierre, who has been itching at the opportunity to face Diaz after the Stockton-native went off on GSP over the last year, Roy Nelson, frequent training partner Ronda Rousey, Condit, and Josh Koscheck.

“He’s just a different breed,” said Koscheck on the subject. “He’s got a chip on his shoulder. I respect that. I think that he comes to fight. The guy just likes to fight and that’s pretty good, I like that.”

Hear what the others have to say about Diaz in the video below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

UFC

Now that St. Pierre has had some time to reflect on things he has re-evaluated how interested he actually is in fighting Diaz, at least when it comes to an expected defense of his title in November.

“I want to fight the best man, and the best man is Condit,” said the 22-2 champion in an interview on Bruce Buffer‘s Sherdog show , adding emotion had clouded his judgment beforehand. Still, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t mind settling the score with Diaz at some point down the road.

“As far as Diaz, of course I would like to fight him because he thinks he’s better than me (and) I think I’m better than him,” explained St. Pierre before turning talk to the controversial Californian’s future. “But I think he should not retire. He did all of the sacrifice in his life to be where he’s at right now. He’s at the highest point of his career, and if he retires now, he’s left a lot of money on the table that could pay for all of the sacrifices he has made during all those years. I think the sport of mixed martial arts needs a guy like him.”

Diaz has not commented since saying he was retiring from MMA after his disgust with the judges’ decision in his fight with Condit. The 28-year old was the more aggressive, less technical of the two this past Saturday night and paid for it with the defeat.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

UFC

Diaz lost by unanimous decision to Condit in the main event of the card, as “The Natural Born Killer” claimed the interim UFC welterweight title.

Rumors of a possible Diaz-Condit rematch were being talked about on Wednesday. Cesar Gracie, the manager and head trainer for Diaz reported that there would be no rematch, and added he had no further comment.

Diaz, who announced his retirement from MMA inside the Octagon following the loss, also tested positive for marijuana back in 2007 following his win over Takanori Gomi. He was fined $3,000 and suspended for six months as a result. As a second offender he could receive a full year this time around.

When asked for comment on the matter, UFC President Dana White responded that he was “beyond disappointed”.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

UFC President Dana White recently reported an immediate rematch between Diaz and current UFC interim welterweight champion Condit would be scheduled to take place before Georges St. Pierre returned from injury. Just as quickly as the rematch was reported, rumors started that someone from either Diaz or Condit had decided against the bout.

According to a report by MMAJunkie it may have been Gracie himself who nixed things though he did not offer much more than to say the match would not go down, leaving those around the MMA world to sit and wonder.

Gracie’s comments are just the latest in a string of twists and turns surrounding the scrap. Condit is still expected to be in Las Vegas on Friday to meet with White. Until then fans will continue to have to wait and see what happens next if anything at all.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Diaz would go on to defeat Penn via Unanimous Decision and called out St. Pierre in a profanity laced attack claiming that GSP wasn’t really injured and instead was ducking a potential fight with him. At the UFC 137 post fight press conference White claimed that GSP was as angry as he had ever seen him and demanded his next fight be against the Stockton, CA resident as opposed to Condit. White also stated that Condit was okay with the situation and instead would face a yet to be named opponent at UFC 143 in the co-main event. As we would learn later on, Condit was not happy with the situation.

Of course, as luck would have it, GSP’s knee injury would turn out to be much more severe than anyone first thought and he would require surgery keeping him out until the fall of 2012. The natural thing to do for the UFC was to match-up Diaz and Condit which was scheduled for the main event of UFC 143 and would be for an interim title. The winner would then face “Rush” once he was healthy for the right to become the undisputed 170-pound champion.

The anticipation for Diaz-Condit was incredible as the UFC marketing machine was in full effect. White was telling anyone who would listen that this bout could be one of the best the UFC had ever seen. Based upon both fighters’ histories he wasn’t off as both men liked to stand and bang. They also brought a lot of intensity, toughness, and heart into every one of their fights. GSP felt uncomfortable rooting against the fellow Greg Jackson trained Condit, but still harbored a lot of ill will towards Diaz and made no secret of who he was pulling for.

The much anticipated tilt took place this past Saturday night and did not go anywhere near as well as planned. Condit fought a methodical, well-planned fight. He avoided Diaz’s pressure by keeping his feet moving at all times and landed a great deal of leg kicks and seemed to be ahead on the judges scorecards. When Bruce Buffer announced “The Natural Born Killer” as the winner it did not sit well with Diaz or his legion of fans who felt that Condit was awarded for avoiding Diaz at all costs and doing the bare minimum to take home the victory. As Joe Rogan interviewed Diaz after the fight he went into full tantrum mode and claimed he was done with MMA; that he no longer needed to be part of the sport.

It seems as though his threats and promises have worked to his advantage once again as word leaked out yesterday that Condit had not only agreed to, but asked for a rematch with Diaz before his scheduled bout with St. Pierre. Apparently Diaz was able to get under the skin of Condit in much the same way he did with GSP. The entire thing just goes to show you that self promotion is just as important as the fight you put on inside of the cage. The real story here is whether or not the UFC is hoping for a Diaz win so they can finally get the money bout everyone wanted in the first place, but has been canceled on two separate occasions – St. Pierre vs. Diaz.

Diaz lost the bout on all three judges’ scorecards. He won just one round on two of the judges’ cards and was awarded two rounds by the third judge. No one is arguing the fact that Condit fought a safe fight, but is there really a need for an immediate rematch based upon the outcome of the first fight? However, to be honest, this is the best call the UFC could make. Without trying to placate Diaz who seems to know how to push White’s buttons along with his opponents, if this fight doesn’t take place there is a potential nine-month gap between fights for Condit. If that is the case then what was the need to create the interim title in the first place if it was just going to be held up for nearly a year anyways?

The fight was close enough to get these two guys back in the cage as soon as possible. As we have learned in the past the judges aren’t always the most educated, responsible people in the arena at any given time. It’s certainly not fair to ask Condit to wait a minimum of nine months before GSP is ready to fight. This fight will kill three birds with one stone, it keeps Diaz happy, even if it means bowing down to his demands once again, it keeps Condit fresh and it gives more meaning to the interim title. For once the UFC is making the right call.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Trainer Cesar Gracie recently came forward to express his belief that fans hadn’t seen the last of Nick Diaz inside the Octagon or any cage for that matter. While Gracie thought it would take Diaz a year or so before getting the itch to fight again, it appears it will actually only be a matter of months after UFC President Dana White went on Twitter to confirm Condit had agreed to fight Diaz again and clear up any confusion surrounding the outcome of their first bout.

White did not go into specifics but did say that Condit wanted the match-up to occur. Today’s news came as a complete 180 from comments made this week by Condit’s manager who said his client would wait for Georges St. Pierre rather than face Diaz again in an immediate rematch.

This past weekend, Diaz was handed a decision loss at the hands of Carlos Condit in the main event of UFC 143. The bout was for the interim UFC welterweight title and Diaz, along with numerous fans, fellow fighters, and media members, felt like he deserved to have his hand raised when things were done.

During the post-fight interview, the Stockton native announced he was done with MMA and was moving on, citing the judges’ approach to scoring as the reason for his departure from the sport. The news shocked just about everyone watching in attendance and live on pay-per-view, including Joe Rogan who was conducting the post-fight interview. When Rogan continued to push for more from Diaz, the controversial welterweight explained he felt all Condit did was run from him.

PHOTO CREDIT – HDNET/UFC

While UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre has not come out to officially say he’d be willing to relinquish his rights to the title in order to fight polarizing rival Nick Diaz, it appears he has mentioned he’s open to doing so in private company.

The shocking revelation came Tuesday evening as part of UFC Tonight where host Kenny Florian, who is friends with GSP and trains with him at TriStar, said the currently injured St. Pierre brought it up over dinner after watching Carlos Condit outpoint Diaz last weekend at UFC 143.

Condit earned a shot at St. Pierre with the victory though it may be in vain if “Rush” follows through on his comments by giving up his belt to settle the score with Diaz. During the build up to the Diaz-Condit bout GSP expressed his desire to see Diaz win after the Stockton scrapper called him out after beating B.J. Penn in his previous Octagon appearance.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The Nevada State Athletic Commission released the list of UFC 143 salaries today where Diaz out-earned the rest of his peers by a fairly significant margin even though he lost his fight. According to NSAC figure, Diaz was paid $200,000 for his headlining spot against newly named interim champion Carlos Condit, who also cracked the six-figure mark with an $110,000 paycheck for his performance.

Other fighters fattening their bank accounts with notable salaries included Josh Koscheck ($146,000) and Fabricio Werdum ($100,000). On the opposite end of the spectrum, somewhat surprisingly, Roy Nelson only made $20,000 in defeat, the same as Mike Pierce and a little less than Scott Jorgensen, indicating he is likely still on his original TUF contract despite it being two years old.

Here is a complete list of pay for UFC 143 including event specific bonuses where required:

Stephen Thompson: $77,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus, $65,000 Knockout of the Night bonus) def. Dan Stittgen: $5,000
Rafael Natal: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Michael Kuiper: $6,000
Matt Riddle: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. Henry Martinez: $6,000
Matt Brown: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. Chris Cope: $8,000
Edwin Figueroa: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Alex Caceres: $8,000
Dustin Poirier: $89,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus, $65,000 Submission of the Night bonus) def. Max Holloway: $6,000
Ed Herman: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus) def. Clifford Starks: $8,000
Renan Barao: $22,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) def. Scott Jorgensen: $20,500
Josh Koscheck: $146,000 (includes $73,000 win bonus) def. Mike Pierce: $20,000
Fabricio Werdum: $165,000 (no win bonus, includes $65,000 Fight of the Night bonus) def. Roy Nelson: $85,000 (includes $65,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
Carlos Condit: $110,000 (includes $55,000 win bonus) def. Nick Diaz: $200,000

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC